Frugally Yours

well hello there!!

2012-01-12T15:20:00.002-07:00

check it out PEEPS...it's what I've been up to recently!!

http://www.kindarandom2012.blogspot.com

~Erin

Welcoming Mr. Man

2011-02-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

FYI- this is the last of the catch up posts! Starting Monday- frugal tips galore!

I desperately wanted the baby to be born on January 4th. It held no importance to me, other then the fact that it was convient for EVERYONE. My Mom was going back to work on the 6th, the 5th was my husbands last day off, my mother in law was leaving for Germany on the 14th and the midwife that I wanted to deliver the baby was on call. It HAD to be the 4th!

So I woke up the morning of the 4th around 3am with some pretty serious contractions. They were coming every 12 minutes or so and quite painful. I fell asleep at about 6am, and then everything stopped. I woke up at 8:30am and it was lame. I was only having the odd contraction and when they did come, they were very irregular and not lasting very long. They started to come again around 11am, about 1-2 an hour and they were painful. I talked to a good friend and told her that I thought I might be in labour, but that I wasn't sure and it was probably nothing knowing my past. We had some people from our church over for lunch and after they left we decided to go walking.

We got to Costco at about 2:30pm and started walking around. I was getting contractions every 20-30 minutes at that point and I wasn't able to walk through them. We moved on to Ikea, where they picked up to about every 5-8 minutes. We decided to leave around 4:20pm and head over to my parents house for dinner. By the time we got to their place, I was contracting every 4-6 minutes and they were lasting a solid minute to a minute and a half. Thanks to a wonderful app. on my iPhone I was easily able to keep track of my contractions. Everyone ate (I had a few homefries and some salad) and then we had to leave because the contractions were getting more intense and I was getting really anxious about not being at my house.

We got home at 6:47pm and I had one HUGE contraction so I decided to go upstairs and hop into the shower. I made it to the bathroom and then my water broke. It was a huge gush and my clothes were soaked. Immediately following that I had a huge contraction and called for my husband. He called my Mom and my bestfriend while I called the midwife. I got into the shower and laboured there until the midwife got there. She checked me and I went from 5-6cm during one contraction. That was the one and only time I was checked. I was officially in active labour.

I continued to labour, in a variety of positions until I had the urge to push. I gave birth to my son 3 pushes later. My mom, mother in law, and my bestfriend were all present. He was immediately given to me and I was able to lay with my new son on our bed. We had skin to skin contact for almost an hour before the midwife checked him. I showered and he was passed around those who attended his birth.

Mr. Man (FLRB) was born at home after a short, drug free labour, on January 4th 2011 at 8:51pm. He weighed 6lbs 10oz and was 20.5 inches long. He is the perfect baby and so completely different from his sister.

He is now 5 weeks old and growing like a weed. He probably weighs just over 8 pounds- which is what Miss C. weighed at 2 months of age. He LOVES to eat, and is very efficient which I appreciate in the middle of the night. He sleeps for 3-4 hours at night and is up every 2-3 hours during the day. Miss C LOVES her little brother and is always up in his face talking, kissing, hugging, yelling at him. I sometimes wonder how he can sleep through all of her noise- then I remember that he heard it the whole time he was in utero and that it is probably comforting for him. Go figure!

I am doing really well and have found adjusting to having two kids wasn't as bad as I had worked it up to be in my mind. There are challenges and days when I don't think we will all survive, but we do...and tomorrow always comes. We've had a lot of love and support from our family and friends and everyone has been really good at sharing the love.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Ten

2011-02-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Day ten: One confession.

1. The majority of my friends I've met online and with the exception of a handful, I've never met most of them in real life. Yet, these ladies are the greatest friends and they are so supportive and loving. The only problem- they are wide spread across Canada. It is great for travelling, but not so awesome when you need a ladies night! Even though I have all of these virtual friends, I'm feeling utterly friendless at the moment. This seems to be a trend in my life. I had a falling out with a number of friends after I got married, because we were no longer at the same point in our lives. After having Miss C I experienced the same thing again, loosing more friends because I had a baby and a lot of responsibilities. However I was able to make some new friends in Lethbridge and they were great. We moved to Calgary. I started teaching full time. I got pregnany AGAIN, and it seemed like I was all alone again. Aside from a few special people I literally had zero friends in Calgary. I started teaching again...and was working 40+ hours a week, I was pregnant and exhausted when I wasn not working and wanted to spend time with my family- yet even those friendships seemed strained now. I just had no extra time or energy to commit to those I considered friends. So fast forwarrd to now. It is the middle of winter, I have a newborn baby, a couped up 2 year old and I only have access to a car once a week and sometimes on weekends. We cannot afford another car or for my husband to take transit every day. I only have 2 friends who have more then one child. I am literally stuck in my house! I am not someone who loves to spend all my time at home. Miss C is not the type either. I am social, I like to go out and do stuff, but I am extremely limited in what I can do right now. I need friends who live by me, within walking distance- a heafy request I know.
That is my confession....
Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Nine

2011-02-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Day Nine: Two words that describe your life right now.

1. Absolutely

2. Perfect

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Eight

2011-02-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Day Eight: Three turn on's.

1. Breakfast in bed.

2. Doing the dishes.

3. Sleep ins.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Seven

2011-02-07T09:41:00.001-07:00

Day Seven: Four turn off's.

1. Bad breath.

2. Long toe nails.

3. The smell of alcohol/cigarette smoke etc...

4. Cold hands.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Six

2011-02-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Day Six: Five people that mean alot to you.

1. My husband.

2. My children.

3. My parents.

4. My godmother.

5. My bestfriend.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Five

2011-02-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Day Five: Six things you wish you could change or wish you have never done.

1. I would change the hair cut that I got last April- it goes down in the books as the WORST hair cut I've ever gotten. I'm still trying to grow it out.

2. I wish I'd never been so careless with money when I was 18 and had a lot of it. I would have put it in savings and been more responsible with it.

3. I wish I'd never gotten my nose pierced.

4. I would have stayed home and cleaned my house the day Mr. Man was born instead of going to Costco and Ikea.

5. I would go back to my wedding day and made sure that the music for our first dance didn't cut out halfway through.

6. I would change the amount of effort I put into my final semster of University (class wise) so that my GPA wouldn't have dropped. That being said, I did the minimum because I also had a 13 month old baby...so considering that I'm happy.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Four

2011-01-31T11:54:00.003-07:00

Day four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

1. If I'm raising my children right.

2. How it is possible to love two little people as much as I love my kids.

3. If tonight I'll get to sleep for longer then 2 hours.

4. What my kids will be when they grow up.

5. What should I make for dinner?!

6. How does my tail bone STILL hurt- I'm not pregnant anymore!

7. Should I just move on...?

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Three

2011-01-31T11:52:00.002-07:00

Day three: Eight things you couldn't live without.

1. My husband.

2. Miss C.

3. Mr. Man

4. My iPhone- I do not know how I survived before it.

5. My PVR- I cannot watch regular TV anymore.

6. Aveeno Products.

7. My lululemon pants

8. Headbands.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day Two

2011-01-31T11:47:00.003-07:00

Day Two: Nine things about yourself that most people don't know.

1. My husband is 100% in charge of all of our finances and I'm so happy it's him and not me.

2. 28 days after giving birth to our son, I can wear ALL of my pre-pregnancy clothes and weigh less then I did before I was pregnant. I'm not bragging...

3. My goal is to train and run a half marathon this summer.

4. I miss my Gramp all the time, and it breaks my heart that he wasn't able to meet his newest great grandchild. I'm glad we were able to name our son after such a great and wonderful man.

5. I don't know ANYONES phone number, everything is on speed dial.

6. I'm a grudge holder...for big things and super small silly things.

7. I bite my fingernails.

8. I rarely buy ice cream because when I do, I eat it all in a very short time span.

9. While teaching grade 6 math, I realized that I had no idea what BEDMAS was and never remembered using it or learning it myself!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Day One

2011-01-31T11:39:00.004-07:00

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

1. I wish you would sleep a little longer at night so that I could sleep a little longer at night too.
2. I don't really know what went wrong, but I'm sorry.
3. Thank you so much for talking me down on so many occasions. Wish you lived closer so we could hang out more.
4. You have no idea how much you have helped my family. I really appreciate it and love you because of it.
5. I miss seeing all of your smiling faces every morning. You were so awesome and reminded me why I love teaching.
6. I want to be like you, you are my biggest role model and I thank my lucky stars every day that I have someone like you in my life.
7. I'm so lucky to have had such a wonderful birth experience with my son. I'm so glad that you were able to be there and catch my baby as he came into this world.
8. If I were you, I'd get a second/third/fourth opinion.
9. You are Miss C's favourite person. You are one of mine too. Thank you for loving her and giving her as much attention as you give Mr. Man.
10. Thank you for loving me, even when I'm cranky.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Re-Launch of Frugally Yours

2011-01-31T11:30:00.004-07:00

Well, I'm back!

Here's a quick recap of what has happened since my last post.
1. My daughter turned 2!
2. I graduated University with 2 degrees!
3. I had a baby!

Those are the highlights!

I'm going to get back into the swing of things and start this blog up again. I know a lot of people were upset when I stopped blogging, but life got in the way. That being said, now that we've found a sort of routine and now that I'm a full time stay at home Mom again, I'm ready to do a FRUGALLY YOURS REVIVAL! Please stay tuned for many many many frugal tips (I just had a baby and I probably have only spent about $500 on EVERYTHING that I've bought for him before and after his birth). My goal for 2011, to cut down on our monthly expenses by at least $200 if not more. We'll see how I do.

In light of the re-launch of Frugally Yours, I'm going to do a "Get To Know Me" 10 day challenge. My beautiful sister in law started doing it on her blog, and I've decided to give it a try on mine. Here is how it goes:

10 day challenge.

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself that most people don`t know
Day three:Eight things you couldn't live without.
Day four: Seven things that cross your mind alot.
Day Five:Six things you wish you could change or wish you have never done.
Day Six: Five people that mean alot to you.
Day Seven: Four turn off`s.
Day Eight: Three things that turn on`s.
Day Nine: Two words that describe your life right now
Day ten : One confession

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

My. Bad.

2010-06-26T13:04:00.003-06:00

I've been away for what seems like forever- my apologies.

I have a REALLY good reason this time though....

On May 14th 2010- I got this....

...a positive pregnancy test. It has kind of consumed my life since then.

I also started working full-time on June 7th.

I work 6:30am-3:30pm. I take care of THREE 22 month olds and ONE 4 year old.

By the end of the day- I'm bagged.

My new bedtime is 9:00pm.

I promise to be better at keeping up with this blog. For obvious reasons *cough PREGNANT cough* I will be upping my frugalness (is that even a word?) so that we can start saving more each month for when I am not working come January when the babe is due.

So- that is my news and my excuse for being a crappy blogger.

I hope I haven't lost all of my valued readers in my hiatus.....

Frugally Yours,
~Erin B.

Guest Blogger #2

2010-05-24T20:52:00.003-06:00

Welcome again to the stand- Sandra!

There’s nothing like the thrill of getting something for free…a free lunch, a free coffee, a free bagel when we buy a dozen. We all love the feeling of keeping a big of our money in our wallet.
But how far are you willing to go?

Modern western society dictates that in the business world, free is a great marketing tool, as long as it is meted out as a way to get even more money from the customer. If a complete stranger handed you a computer printer and said, "here, take it, I don’t want it anymore," would you crow about it the same way you would about getting a free coffee at Timmies?

What’s different about it? Well, the motivation behind it, obviously.

The main difference, however, is how we want others to think of us and our status in the community and the greater world. Getting a free "thing" as a promotion makes us feel special. Getting a free "thing" from a stranger makes us wonder if people will think we can’t afford it or are "cheap". Both of these notions I’ve dealt with before on my blog, http://www.darfieldearthship.com/

I won’t dwell on them here, but keep in mind my motivation for receiving (and giving) free "things" are two-fold:

It is environmentally sound NOT to buy things new. It keeps things out of the landfill and removes a disposal issue for somebody.

It is frugal in the best sense of the word. Saving our financial and world resources. We exchange our very life and breath for money. Why would we spend it on things, just so we have to work harder for more money to buy more "things?

Obviously I’m the "converted" but I wasn’t always so!

If you’re reading this blog, then you probably have already thought about many of these issues. Like me and my family, you are looking for ways to save money (stretch money), pay down debt, spend more time with your family, and feel good about your contribution to the world. Free can do all of that for you.

So, ways to get free things:

Join freecycle in your community. Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) is a worldwide organization that provides an online community of givers and receivers. Membership is free and once you join you can post a "wanted" ad or an "offered" ad. There are some ground rules. In addition to the usual (nothing illegal, profane, etc), there is the stipulation that you should offer something for every four "wanted" ads you post. This isn’t actually all that difficult to do. The kinds of things a person could give and receive on freecycle? Here’s a list of the most recent posts on my local freecycle network in Kamloops, B.C. Stereos, TV’s, air purifier, stovetops, dryers, baby clothing, shampoo, mattress, egg cartons, incubator, discount tickets and pianos. I have given away: a breadmaker, cat scratcher, queen boxspring and mattress, computer keyboard and children’s toys. I have received a $500 like new tumbling composter, endless bags of fabric for quilting, girls’ jewelry, craft supplies and canning jars. Freecycle is also on Facebook. Look it up and see what people worldwide have to say about it!

Check out online used sites for free items. www.kajjiji.ca and www.craigslist.com each have boards in many cities where people are trying to give away items they no longer want. Check out the free ads in both your local newspaper and in your local Buy and Sell.
Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open at harvest time for folks whose produce bounty is so plentiful they can’t keep up with the harvest. Many will offer you free food if you simply arrive to pick it. You can often find these people on freecycle and in local newspapers. Most gardeners and farmers are "waste-not, want-not" people, so you give them an amazing sense of satisfaction if you can help them ensure their harvest is not wasted.

Swap meets are also a wonderful way to save money, especially if you have young children and the swap is all about clothing. Best of all, you get to meet families just like yours.

Cruise the neighbourhood (or if you feel funny, an adjoining neighbourhood) on garbage day. The curbside give-away culture is becoming more and more prevalent. Some people, rather than going to the bother of taking their cast away furniture, appliances or other goodies, will put it curbside early as a sign that it is up for grabs. They may even put up a sign saying "free!"

Sharing sheds were a concept introduced to me by a few of my friends who had experienced this great concept in previous communities. The idea here is to take items you no longer want to a centrally located drop off, or "shed" and let people take things as they want. I love this idea because it can take the stigma (or perceived stigma) out of curbside collection or answering free ads. This sharing shed idea also builds a sense of community.
When you are buying a big ticket item at a big box store, ask if they will "throw" in an accessory item. For example, when we purchased our Nikon D-90 camera last year, my husband Chris casually asked if the salesperson would include a camera case for the price of the camera. Without hesitation the salesperson agreed. Keep in mind that on big ticket items, most big box stores make decent margins and including a smaller item is good customer service and will hopefully bring that customer back. This is not insulting to the salesperson who is directed in just how much negotiation he or she can engage in. For the record, the store was The Future Shop and I am TERRIBLE at asking for free items in this manner. Chris is not and does it tastefully, respectfully and without aggression. He doesn’t always succeed but will often try with very large chain stores. We are both more uncomfortable with this at smaller, non-chain stores.

Dumpster diving. I’ll admit this is "out there". I have done a lot of investigation of this topic and have yet to come to any conclusions. What I once thought of as "ick" is changing as I speak to more and more people. There are several Canadian books about dumpster diving and you can check out my blog to check see what I’ve written before.

If you’ve never thought about "free" as part of frugality then I encourage you to do so. Treat it as an adventure to salvage your wallet and save a little piece of the earth. Then, let me know what you think by leaving a comment, here, on Erin’s blog!

Sandra Burkholder was trained as a journalist and worked in pharmaceutical and health care public relations and marketing communications for 13 years in Toronto and San Francisco. She and husband Chris Newton built log homes for 10 years near her hometown of Barriere, B.C. in the late 90s after the first of their three children were born. Several years ago they slowed things down to spend more time with their children and become more involved in their community. They decided to confuse family and friends even more by going "frugal" and talking about it, starting a family farm, planting a garden and building a sustainable house out of old tires and pop cans. Please feel free to contact Sandra at Sandra@darfieldearthship.com or check out their blog at www.darfieldearthship.com

THANK YOU SANDRA FOR PARTICIPATING IN FRUGALLY YOURS GUEST BLOGGING SERIES!!! YOUR WORDS ARE AN INSPIRATION TO US TRYING TO BE AS FRUGAL AS POSSIBLE.

Stay Tuned for some good stuff next week!
Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

For My Family.

2010-05-10T22:34:00.005-06:00

Cystic Fibrosis (also known as CF) is a common hereditary disease which affects the entire body, causing progressive disability and often early death. *wikipedia*

I have 3 cousins with this disease. I am a carrier of this disease.

I received an email from one of my cousins yesterday. It goes like this:

" Hi Erin! I hope you had a happy Mother's Day! Your baby is so cute! I would like to ask for your help with fundraising for CF. Here is the information:

As you know, my sisters and I were diagnosed with CF a few years ago. Although, research has improved the lives of those living with CF, we are still a long way from a cure.

Our friend, Stan Shaw is cycling for my sisters and I this year in Gearup4cf. The ride leaves from Vancouver and finishes in Banff 9 days later. Stan hopes to help find a cure for CF, but cannot do this without your support. You can follow his journey on his blog.

http://gearup4cf2010.blogspot.com/

You can find our story and photos in his journal by clicking on this link:

http://gearup4cf2010.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-real-heros-of-ride-roman-madison-and.html

Donations can be made on the CF Foundation's secure website:

http://gearup4cf.org/index.php?/The-Riders/2009-Riders/Stan-Shaw.html

Thank you for your support!"

I will be supporting this cause because I want to see my cousins live long and happy lives.

I will be supporting this cause because I believe in sharing what little I have with those who need it more then I do.

I will be supporting this cause because it is my family...and I love them.

Will you help by supporting them too??

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Frugal Fact:
Supporting charitable events/activities is great and frugal! I fully, 100% support this. Often, if you donate more then $15 you'll get a tax receipt. I'm also a firm believer in 'give some, get some'...I don't know what I'll get, and to be honest, it doesn't really matter to me- but I feel better knowing that I've helped out, even if it is just a little bit. Did you know that the richest people in the world donate more then HALF of their salaries to charities a year. Could you do that? Everyone starts with nothing, the Power of Now is actually going out and doing something about it.

Guest Blogger #2- better late then never...

2010-05-10T22:04:00.002-06:00

I was originally slated as a guest blogger for two days in April. Erin, however, was busy with her teaching practicum and I was busy building my house (www.darfieldearthship.com), so the two of us by unspoken mutual agreement, let the whole thing slide.

Erin is recovering (I think!) and my husband, Chris, and I are still building, but I did want to fulfill my obligation to the first of two guest blogs, before the serious building season is upon us.

TIPS FOR SPENDING LESS

Over the course of several years, Chris and I have drastically changed our spending habits as a means to work less at paid work, and to have more time with our children. While financial constraints weren’t the driving force for our change in spending habits, making them has allowed us to last longer on less money.

Even if your goal isn’t to free up your time for children or home building, our experiences and tips obviously work equally effectively in families where there is a desire to live within one’s means, have one parent in the home with the children, or to save money to pay off debt.

Spending less in my world is sometimes relative because my family tries to think about the environment when we make our purchases. For example, I’m not a big proponent of sending away or accepting free product samples as a way to spend less. My issues with it are: the packing of a small amount of product, the carbon footprint of the shipping, and often, the consumption of materials to produce said product (including nasty chemicals)! So, some of my comments need to be taken in that context; you will have to make your own decisions about spending within your own philosophical frameworks!

1.) Groceries.
This, as anybody who is trying to save money knows, is the single most important area where spending can be reduced. It is also one of the most difficult because food is an ongoing expenditure.

In Canada food coupons do not represent a significant source of savings to a grocery budget. Coupons generally are issued for processed foods and products, which I have an issue with philosophically, nutritionally and frugally (more later). They are also usually issued as a means to secure brand loyalty, rather than as a long-term commitment to saving loyal customers money.

I don’t generally use coupons. I do, however, have a Save On “club card” at Save-On foods, where I’m guaranteed to get the lowest posted price and I always ask at the checkout at The Real Canadian Superstore, if there is a gift card/food gift for spending a minimum amount. For example, often the store will issue a $25 gift card if you spend $250 or more. This is easy for me to do with our family of five. Watch out for “tax free” days at grocery stores. This only occurs once in a while, but I did calculate that my last shopping trip during one of the tax free promotions garnered me a $20 savings (just for showin’ up!)

Know your prices. Become familiar with great prices on the products you buy often. For us this is whole wheat English muffins (which go on sale for $1 for a package of six every two weeks or so). I buy as many as I can and freeze them. We also, despite having a garden, buy lots of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, so I know that $0.89 for a large can of tomato sauce is a great price. Some frugalists keep a notebook of best prices but this is way too organized for me. I generally know in my head what is a good price and stock up when I see the item on sale.

No name brands are not always awful. Granted, the no name cornflakes taste like cardboard, but we have found that tomato sauce, pasta, cheese and jams (when we run out of our own) taste no different than brand name products. What you’re NOT paying for is the heavy marketing and advertising.

Plan ahead with two weeks of meals. I know this is easier said than done. Currently we are so busy we are back at only being a few days ahead of our meal preparation. But this strategy has always proven to be a money saver for us, if only because it allows us to bypass take-out pizza and other convenience foods when we are in a hurry.

Cook double or triple meals. This saves not only money (presumably you are buying items at low prices, in bulk) but saves time when you can pull a meal out of the freezer and warm it up. When our children were very small and we both worked full time, we used to spend one Sunday a month cooking and freezing. It was a lot of work but made the month so much easier.

Less processed food means less money spent. At first blush, processed foods seem to be cost effective, mostly because it saves you time cooking. However, processed foods are highly dependant on the corn industry which is in turn, highly subsidized by governments. You might not pay that subsidy at the checkout but you do pay it in your taxes. Without getting into depth in this issue (the ethics of feed lots, the poor nutritional quality of processed foods, etc.) processed foods are simply not a frugal choice. Cooking from scratch is the best choice all around. Home-made pizza really does cost substantially less than even a frozen grocery pizza. Again, the trade-off here is time…you really need to have/dedicate the time to cooking from scratch.

Eating out of the pantry. Despite our good intentions and planning, we sometimes end up with food items in the pantry and freezer that just sit there. Every once in a while we take stock and plan meals around these items. Hey, we’ve paid for them, it’s worth a little effort.

Have a garden if possible. Even the smallest city lot can produce a few basic vegetables. Plus it’s fun, especially if you have children! Try square foot gardening as an easy way to start. www.squarefootgardening.com If you can’t garden yourself, consider buying your produce locally. It’s fresher, and when in season, it can be less expensive than in the store.

Buy fruits and vegetables in season. This is pretty easy…strawberries at the grocery store are simply going to cost more in December than in June! To offset this, buy LOTS of in season fruit and freeze to enjoy in the winter.

There are many other ways to save on the grocery bill and I’d be very interested in hearing any not listed here. The most important rule in our family any time we are trying to be frugal is not to feel deprived. If we’re feeling deprived then we change what we are doing.

2.) Try using less of your cleaning products. I won’t go into the whole issue of nasty chemicals here. I use very limited cleaning products, mostly just dish soap, dishwasher soap and laundry soap (although once we move into our new, sustainable home, this will be greatly reduced). I don’t buy extra cleaners for anything else. Baking soda and a few other natural combinations work, albeit with a bit of effort. Don’t assume popular (expensive) brands are the best! I experimented with laundry soaps and discovered that in cold water (hot water washes cost more!) Purex or Gain worked equally well as Tide, Sunlight or Cheer and cost a lot less. AND I can cut the amount required down to a mere tablespoon per load (front washer) without seeing a difference in cleaning power. One of my next projects is to find a less-toxic alternative to soaps.

3.) Eating out/entertainment

Restaurants
When my husband and I were childless, earning two fantastic incomes in Toronto, we never thought twice about questioning our spending on meals out or what we spent on entertainment. When we were had small children and both of us worked full time, eating out became the easy way to end a tough day…we had no idea until we started tracking, that we were consistently spending $400 plus a month on meals out. Several years ago when we returned to tracking our expenses (and following the financial philosophies outlined in Your Money or Your Life http://yourmoneyoryourlife.info/ ) we decided that if we ate out it had to be worth it, meaning that we had to clearly enjoy it. That meant for the most part we left the kids behind when we went out and opted for great restaurants, rather than chain eateries.

At the same time as we were changing our eating out patterns, we were both undergoing a change in our diet and we discovered that portion sizes were just too big for us, no matter where we went. Although we felt a bit weird about it at first, we began splitting an entree and appetizer between us. Except at the most chi-chi places (where there is a splitting fee, or a ban on splitting entrees) no one batted an eye. Suddenly the portions were perfect for us and eating out became even more affordable.

When eating out with the kids we generally take them to restaurants where there is pizza or dishes that can be shared. About 90 per cent of the time we order water (at $2.75 per drink this adds up AND so does the sugar content!). Occasionally we break all the rules, like the lunch we had the day we attended the Olympics in Vancouver. It cost a fortune, we all had two sugary drinks each and enjoyed every minute of it!

Entertainment

We take the kids to movies occasionally and I use a Scene “club” card to book tickets. After a certain number of purchases, Odeon issues a free ticket. The Scene card also ensures a 10 per cent discount at the concession. When registering for this card I selected the option of NOT having promotional material or ads emailed to me, so I keep the electronic clutter to a minimum. At the concession, instead of buying the kids individual $8 popcorn/drink combo, we buy the large refillable popcorn bag and a large drink. I ask for extra cups which get handed over without comment. I walk over to the candy dispenser and grab four empty candy bags and before the movie starts we divvy all the popcorn up. The large popcorn usually comes with a free refill, but we hardly ever get it filled feeling that the amount is excessive. The savings? $13 versus $39. Having said that, when the kids take a friend or two to the movies on their birthdays, I will break our frugal rule and buy each child his/her own drink/popcorn combo. It’s all about moderation and enjoyment and we try to balance it as much as possible.

There is free entertainment all around us, even in our small town. In cities free or inexpensive family entertainment abounds. Use it, enjoy it, and save your entertainment dollars for the big stuff!

4.) Clothes

I’ve never blogged on my own site about clothes but plan to in the coming months. Our family has slowly begun weaning ourselves from retail clothes shopping. We shop at thrift stores and consignment stores and as we began doing this we were amazed at what is for sale, how new it is and just how much used and lightly used clothing is available. We have a strict rule that we have to really like what we buy (that whole deprivation thing.). The savings? Well, brand new Tommy Hilfiger jeans are pretty pricey…We found Stephen a pair of very lightly used TF’s for $5. After two wearings, he’d already frayed the hem anyway. I’ve found NEW leather shoes at thrift stores for $5 to $15. Real finds. Once you become knowledgeable about brand names and prices and how the thrift stores receive and sell, it becomes much easier to save money and buy high quality items. Underwear we still buy new. 

Some things, (like winter coats) are a bit hit and miss. I generally case out the sales at sports stores, etc in March and buy for the next season, often at 75% reductions. When you have kids and can judge their sizes 6 months into the future, the savings can be substantial. I also frequent a really great consignment sports store on Broadway in Vancouver and have found some amazing winter outerwear for a fraction of the “new” price.

Hand-me-downs are a tried and true method of keeping your clothing costs down, too.

5.) Use the library. I love the smell and feel of a new book. I used to spend a large proportion of my disposable income at the bookstore. My library membership, however, is FREE. Using the library consistently means being patient. In our small town of Barriere, not every book is available when I want it. Because we are part of a larger library network, I can have the book transferred from another location. Sometimes, when a book is very popular, I have to join a queue to wait for an item. (I waited 4 months for The Time Traveler’s Wife). Sometimes, however, you just CAN’T wait. We purchased the last two Harry Potter books the day they were available and at Christmas we each get at least one new book! Used book stores provide another way to lower costs on your book purchases. Many stores will “buy” back the books you bought from them, giving you credit toward future purchases.

6.) Always buy the highest quality you can afford. It will pay for itself in the end in terms of longevity. I can’t emphasize this enough. For example, when the kids had a total of eight sheep last summer, they asked me to buy grain buckets for them. In a fit of frugality I hit the dollar store and found plastic (ouch) buckets for $1.50 each. Five days later, every single one had a crack in it ($12 wasted). The metal feed buckets are $13 each and are still going strong.

7.) Buy holiday items out of season. I buy all of my Christmas decorations, cards, wrapping (fabric in my case, as I make fabric wrapping bags) and tags between Boxing Day and January 3. The later you leave it the better the prices. You will find discounts up to 90 percent! I buy anything to do with Halloween in early November, and Valentine’s after February 14. The first year I did this it was a pain because I had to wait a whole year to reap the benefits (and still buy holiday items for the current year). Now, I simply go to the appropriate bin in our storage shed and bask in my frugal-ness! I had been told not to try freezing Christmas chocolate for a year because freezing puts a “bloom” on the chocolate. Always up for an experiment, I once bought $30 of discounted chocolate after Christmas and stuck it in the freezer. Sadly, it (I) didn’t last a month, so I can’t tell you what it tasted like after a year!!

8.) Buy used, especially for large ticket items (excluding perhaps computer equipment). Used is good for the environment, too! Use the classifieds or the Buy and Sell, or go online and peruse Kajijii www.kajijii.com or Craig’s list. www.craigslist.com We found two of our three kayaks through Craig’s list for about a third of what they would cost new. As always when buying used, make sure you know what to look for to guarantee performance and quality.

9.) Stop reading flyers and catalogs. Seriously. You’ll never know how much you “need” something until you see it on sale in the Canadian Tire flyer. A good strategy to use when you think you really “need” something is to wait four months and see how you feel about purchasing it then. So many of our purchases are impulsive and I’ve found the “wait” usually cures me of the compulsion to buy.

10.) Eliminate debt. Debt is expensive. For the privilege of owning something before we can afford it, the banks charge us enormously. If you are good at math and spreadsheets, or can find an online loan calculator, try entering your loan information for your car or home reno project. It is amazing what the true cost of your purchase is after interest is calculated. It might make you pause and reconsider a used vehicle or a smaller reno project. Then try it with your home mortgage! Once you’ve entered all the information, shorten the amortization period or increase the weekly/monthly payments. You will be amazed at how many years (and how much interest) you can shave off, simply by adding another $25 each week to your payment.

We have found that the most important method of reducing spending is to be able to separate your emotions from your bank account. Truthfully examine how you spend, why you spend, the value you receive from spending and how your life could be more enjoyable if you spent differently. It’s not about deprivation; it’s about placing value on what you use your money for. Know exactly what you are spending and how much income comes into your household. It amazes us that we never really knew how much came in or out until we began tracking all of it. It’s an arduous and emotional process, but one that can give you an immense feeling of control over your life.

Check out Erin’s blog again on May 24th for my tips on how to get things for….FREE!

Sandra Burkholder was trained as a journalist and worked in pharmaceutical and health care public relations and marketing communications for 13 years in Toronto and San Francisco. She and husband Chris Newton built log homes for 10 years near her hometown of Barriere, B.C. in the late 90s after the first of their three children were born. Several years ago they slowed things down to spend more time with their children and become more involved in their community. They decided to confuse family and friends even more by going “frugal” and talking about it, starting a family farm, planting a garden and building a sustainable house out of old tires and pop cans. Please feel free to contact Sandra at Sandra@darfieldearthship.com or check out their blog at www.darfieldearthship.com

Re-introduction

2010-05-05T16:28:00.003-06:00

Hello!

I feel like a stranger. I've been MIA for 2 months. You probably forget who I am. Well, let me re-introduce myself.

I'm Erin B. I'm frugal. I also just got a haircut that I'm not 100% sure about.

That is about all you need to know!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

*I'll be back tomorrow with FRUGAL TIPS*

Today I...

2010-05-04T21:31:00.003-06:00

...baked with Charlotte all. day. long.

She isn't much of a baker yet, she mostly likes to eat flour and stir things but I hope that one day she will love it as much as I do.

I remember baking with my Mom, Nana and Grandma when I was little and I hope she remembers back to these times when she is older.

The reason for baking today? It was cold outside. (Charlotte says, buurr!) And I didn't want to get out of my Mommy Gear (read: sweats)- SO we baked. My house smelled wonderful and then we got to indugle ourselves with Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Banana Muffins and Welsh Cakes.

The reason for this post? I stumbled upon this cute blog and it inspired me to blog. I encourage you all to check it out and tell her what you did today. It will be worth your while.

Today I cuddled with my baby before bed...
Today I'm going to watch Glee...
Today I got a wonderful reference letter from a great man....
Today I felt the wind on my face...
Today I slept in until 8:00 am...

Tomorrow I will....

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Let the kicking can commence!!

2010-05-02T23:45:00.003-06:00

Why you ask??

Because I've been such a d-bag for the last 2 *cough* months and haven't posted a single. ass. thing.

It's not because I haven't wanted too- because I have...honest- it's just been CRAZY. There were many times when I wanted to come on here and document the weird and wacky stuff I experienced when I returned to high school. And then life (read: sleep) got the best of me and before I knew it the 7 weeks were over and I hadn't posted a single thing. It wasn't just my blogs that I ignored...it was everything. Laundry, cleaning, making the bed, lesson planning, marking, washing diapers....... . .. . . . and the list goes on. I sometimes went days without checking Facebook, which for me, is like...WHOA!

I know, you'll probably need a moment to recover from that as well. *phew*

But I'm back.

And even though I technically gave permission (see above) for some kicking- I'd appreciate, perhaps, a flick on the cheek or a swift smack on my bottom...

But be careful...I might like it...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

PS: I'll be back tomorrow with a 'frugal' post.
PPS: And there is still a guest blogger to be had, one who was very understanding of my hiatus.
PPPS: And a "Frugally Yours" giveaway.
PPPPS: Stay TUNED! Please!

exhaustion

2010-03-15T22:29:00.003-06:00

Again, I apologise for my lack of posts.

If you are upset at this, then I suggest you come live a day in my life.

Don't knock it 'til you try it yo!

For shizzles...

Dope!

That's what happens when you spend your days surrounded by high school students. Your vocab changes, you start checking your cellphone for txts every 3-5 minutes, and you have no time for the normal things you enjoy because you are 1. dealing with teenages, 2. planning to teach said teenages or 3. sleeping because teenagers (plus a 19 month old) are EXHAUSTING.

I have nothing in the way of Frugal-ness right now. I'm being VERY Frugal, not by choice, by necessity...(even though ultimately it is a choice). Even if I wanted to go out and spend friviously...even if we had the money for me to do that with...I wouldn't because I'm lacking the energy.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to get energized (yes, this is coming from me, the Energizer Bunny) please pass your tip along. I'd love to hear it!

Stay tuned for a GIVE-AWAY in the next few days! :) That's right- our first ever GIVE-AWAY!

Oh- and a guest blogger! :)

Frugally Yours, (or in teenage lingo- 'peaced out')
Erin B.

Long story short...

2010-03-09T21:02:00.002-07:00

It may have taken some harsh words and some knowledge about Customer Service etiquette BUT our phone and Internet WAS installed this evening.

Long story short: don't mess with an exhausted Mommy, who's baby is suffering from a double ear infection, who's just started teaching high school, who is coming down with a nasty bug...WHO SHOULDN'T BE MESSED WITH.

On an even more positive note- you'll all be happy to hear that I've survived my first 2 days in a high school. If you don't remember this post then I suggest re-reading about my phobia of hormonal high school students. The best part of today- being told by the one girl that actually frightens me, that I am "dope".

So pretty much I rock and even though she hates school- she thinks she will like my class. Thanks J.

Frugal Tip? Eat dinner at your parents house...every night....from now until they ask you to not come back. You will save BIG dollars! :) Thanks parental units for being so understanding and willing to feed your favourite daughter and favourite grand-daughter. It will all come back to you one day- your good deeds do not go unnoticed.

I'm going to go crash now.
Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Welcome Back Erin!

2010-03-05T20:59:00.003-07:00

And I am back.

Kind of...

For the weekend at least.

So here is the deal. Upon the recommendation of my glorious BFF, we switched from Shaw to Telus for our phone and Internet service. Our Shaw bill ranged between $50-58 a month for High Speed Lite Internet and the Basic Phone with Caller ID. After contacting Telus, they were going to upgrade my Internet to High Speed and with the Basic Phone for $30 a month for the first 6 months and then $46 for the months following that. Oh- I should also mention that I got the first month FREE with Telus. So...long story short- I call Telus, they tell me what they can give me, I call Shaw tell them what Telus will give me and I ended up up choosing Telus because Shaw just couldn't offer me anything different then what I already had. *Frugal Tip: barter*

Fast forward to Saturday. We move in. *I will post about that once my computer/Internet is up and running at the house*. My phone was to be activated that day, and my Internet on Wednesday. Nothing worked. I tried EVERY. JACK. IN. MY. HOUSE. TWICE. and nothing. So I busted out the cellphone and called and complained.

Nothing changed, it still didn't work and I was pissed because my cellphone died and the hubs had BOTH chargers (FML). So I go to my parents house, someone is sent to fix the issue at my house on Tuesday night and then WHAM...I have a working home phone! Yey! The only problem? Only one jack works. IN THE WHOLE HOUSE!! Seriously!!

So- Wednesday, the Internet is supposed to be activated. It was (apparently, I'm starting to believe that Telus is employed by Aliens) but it didn't work- go figure eh! So I'm pissed because HELLO- I'VE BEEN WITHOUT THE INTERNET FOR LIKE EVER!!! and I'm desperate to be back online AND THIS STUPID INTERNET IS NOT WORKING.

*I'm using lots of CAPITALS because it's been very frustrating and I'm trying to share that with you :) *

One working jack = phone or Internet...not both. It also means that to talk to some 'support person' at Telus, I need to use my cellphone because the modem needs to be plugged into the ONE. WORKING. JACK. Fast forward a freaking hour and a half and I'm in tears because this is stupid and the people don't speak ENGLISH (I'm not racist- so don't flame) and my Internet is still not working and I'm sick and tired of walking up and down the stairs so I BLOW up on the lady, wake my sleeping baby and hang up.

I called Shaw.

Obviously I shouldn't have switched companies. Retrospect is always 20/20 right?! I told the kind man at Shaw (kudos to Rob who listened to me bitch about Telus f0r 20 minutes) and he upgraded my Internet for LESS then what we were paying before and gave us the same phone package we had before. So $20.95 for phone and $23 for their High Speed Internet. That is a total of $44 which is less then what I'd be paying Telus after the initial 6 months (it's only $2 but it's still a saving!). They are coming on Tuesday between 6-8pm (did I mention that if someone from Telus is going to come to your house you need to be there ALL DAY because they don't do appointments?). Shaw people are going to come in, install it, ensure that it all works AND NOT CHARGE ME (did I mention that any service call from Telus costs $19.99/15 minutes?).

Thank you Shaw for being better then Telus- I'm sorry I ever doubted you.

Morale of the Story? Telus sucks. Sometimes a 'deal' isn't worth the headache...and for once, I realize that.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

FML.

2010-02-24T17:48:00.001-07:00

I hate moving.

That is all.

BOX

2010-02-22T11:48:00.003-07:00

This is how we are living right now.

Friday cannot come soon enough.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

les épices

2010-02-19T14:42:00.002-07:00

Translation: SPICES

I just restocked all of the spices in my spice rack and the ones in my cupboard for under $10.

Did you know that you should be replacing your spices every 6-12 months...?!

Thank You Bulk Barn.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Frugal Move

2010-02-18T13:48:00.003-07:00

Moving isn't cheap- in fact, it is pretty darn expensive when you consider all the things you'll have to buy or put money out for. When I look at our numbers for moving- even though they are the cheapest they can be...I'm still shocked. Despite the fact that moving is expensive, it is the best choice for my family- so I can look past the cost and consider all of the positives of this HUGE move.

In my research, I've stumbled across a few lists of frugal things you can do to cut costs. Believe it or not, they were things I was already doing, BUT for the sake of this blog- I will post them anyways, because they will probably be helpful to someone else down the line.

Frugal Moving Tips:

Move Yourself. It takes more time and energy on your part, but you can save between $400-$2000 (if not more!) if you don't hire professional movers. You'll need to gather your friends and learn how to properly pack a truck- but it will save you BIG money in the long run. A truck rental costs between $200-$300 *give or take, it depends on the company* and you can rent it for however long you need it for.
Free Boxes. Having matching boxes is really nice...but it is also quite expensive. I haven't spent a single dollar on any of the boxes that we have for moving. I put a post on Kijiji asking for free boxes, I went to Safeway and picked up some apple boxes and then a good friends Dad brought a TON over. All I had to buy was packing tape. I'm also going to be paying-it-forward after our move and giving all of our boxes to a friend who is moving in April.
Rubbermaid Containers. Relatively inexpensive and totally worth it down the line. They can be used over and over for numerous things. Not only are they pretty cheap (approximately $7 per bin) but they are handy for moving and storing things. Now I'm not suggesting going out and buying 50 bins...that is NOT frugal, but 4 or 6 is. I packed all my Christmas stuff in 2 bins and then all our clothes into another 3 bins. I also had a few from previous moves that we were able to use again. It's handy for me, and it saves me having to recycle extra boxes...
Feed Your Friends. You need to feed the people who are helping you move. Pizza and Beer are classic moving food- however, that's pretty expensive. For moving day #1, we will get the $5 Pizzas from Little Caesars...because it's cheap and easy. The following day, I made a HUGE batch of chili that people can enjoy when they help us unload. The total cost for feeding a small army? $40- that includes, pizza, pop, chili and buns. Totally affordable. And totally an expense that I am ok with- these people are helping us out, so the least I can do is give them a little food.
Donate/Sell/Trash. De cluttering is an awesome way to save money on a move. Getting rid of all the extra crap that you have is not only save you time when you move, but it will also ensure that you aren't on the show Hoarders in a few years time. Sell what you can (I made over $200 selling random items), donate what you can't sell, and trash all the other crap that you don't really need. I'm really proud that we were able to get rid of so much stuff this time 'round. We are moving into a much bigger house but I don't want to fall into the trap of needing to fill all the extra space. By getting rid of unwanted stuff NOW- I won't have to pack it or unpack it AND it saves me space.

The list above offers the most cost effective way to move. Now- for some this won't be practical...but for us, it works. We have a lot of great friends who are helping out here and in Calgary, and it is greatly appreciated.

The countdown is on- 8 days until the BIG MOVE...so I must leave you now and go pack...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

OH- and if anyone else has any other frugal moving tips- please leave a comment! I'd love to hear how you save money on a move...

Motto

2010-02-13T22:30:00.002-07:00

Go Big or Go Home.

I was reminded tonight by a dear friend how ultimately I live this motto.

Packing up and moving cities with my family with less then 3 weeks notice? That's pretty freaking HUGE...

When I started drama in high school, one of my teachers shared this with us on our first day. It's always stuck with me, because it is how I am. Whenever I perform, I always go all the way...sometimes it's too much, and sometimes it is perfect. It is always easier to reign enthusiasm then it is to fake it, or vamp it up. I never need to remind myself to go big- because it is how I naturally am. It works in all aspects of my life- not just the performing side...

My daughter takes after me. I haven't decided if this is good or bad thing yet, I'll let you know when she turns 13. I do know that my Mom laughs when I share stories with her and mumbles something about 'karma....'?! That being said- I will NEVER try to curb my daughters excitement for life. I will never try to kill the creativity that comes so naturally to her. I see other children who are able to sit through a 2 hour movie at 12 months and I thank my lucky stars that my child can't sit still for 2 minutes. I LOVE that my child is able to think outside the box at 18 months of age.

I believe that everything in life should be worth doing, and if it is worth doing then it should be done BIG. When I save- I save BIG, when I spend...I spend small but on BIG things (or lots of things). It is this skill that I have, that my daughter has, that allows us to live the way we do. It gives me confidence and allows me to share the real me. I can only hope that my daughter will look to me as inspiration one day- as I look at my Mom.

So- I encourage you all to try, just for one day- go BIG or go home. You may feel silly, you may feel self-conscious- but someone might see you and you might inspire a change.

I've received numerous e-mails thanking me for my frugal tips, for my environment-saving ideas...and I feel like I've done what I set out to do. I've gone big- I've put my heart out on my sleeve and shared with you the ins and outs of living Frugally. Some of you have started making small changes yourselves...which makes me happy. I'm glad I could help...

So this is me...going big....

Frugally Yours,
Erin B. *that is as big as I can go here...*

I Believe

2010-02-12T20:31:00.002-07:00

Never before in my life have I ever felt this proud to be Canadian.

*~ with glowing hearts~*

I Believe,
Erin B.

Diva Cup REVIEW...or rant...

2010-02-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

WARNING: TMI- like loads of TMI below, don't say I didn't warn you. If you don't want to read about my girlie parts, then I advise you close this window immediately.

Ok- so it arrived and I used it and I can honestly say that I was on the fence about it for a day or two. Not because I didn't want to like it- because I did...but because it hurt and it felt like it was going to fall out. However, I've figured out the trick to it and I can honestly say, I'm never going back to pads or tampons...eva!

So- the evil AF (read: Aunt Flow) arrived and I was all excited to try my Diva Cup. I've never anticipated the arrival of a period as much as I did this month- no lie. So anyhow- she arrives, and I'm all ready to try it out. I read and then reread the instructions- because I don't want to do this wrong. I mean, not that you can really do it wrong, but I didn't want to hurt myself or make it impossible for me to have more children- so I read the instructions like 10 times.

Sounds easy enough. So I did it, got it in and went on my business. Only, it didn't feel right...and I was worried that I'd done something wrong, so I removed it and tried it a few more times. Again, it never felt right, so I removed it and went online to ask my FP ladies WTF was up.

So there is this little tab thing on the end...

...why it is there is beyond me, because it rubs and it's irritating, so I cut it off. I tried it again with the little tab removed- and it felt a little better UNTIL it started feeling like it was going to fall out. All I can say, is that who knew your cervix was so high up- holy cow!!

Ok- so I'm still kind not liking this, and I was starting to doubt my decision to try it and then a friend suggested that I flip it inside out so that the tab and the outer ridges are on the inside. So I give it a try...and WHAM!

I'm in LOVE.

Not only is it easier to insert...(hehe, that's a funny word) but it's much easier to rotate the 365 degrees you need to create the seal...but it is a little smaller, so it sits up higher meaning it doesn't feel like it is going to flop out. Win and Win.

I wore it all night with no problems. None! We are talking 10 hours- with no leaks and no squishy diaper feeling...BONUS!

Now what turns people off the most is the blood. I get faint around blood- so I wasn't really looking forward to it, BUT seriously, it isn't bad at all. If you empty it regularly then you have no problems. Just be careful removing it if you've been wearing it for a while (especially on your heavy flow days) because it might be full and you don't want to spill it. Just imagine...blood everywhere...haha- GROSS.

So- my final word? Give it a try. It might take you a few cycles to get the hang of it- but when you do you will be instantly converted and you'll never go back. I'm. Not. Kidding.

You not only be benefiting yourself and your health *who doesn't like that?* (click here to read up on tampons) but you'll also be saving our environment *who doesn't like that?*. You might also want to click here for more information regarding disposable menstrual products. Clicking here would also provide you with some useful information regarding whats in them and why they are bad. We all need to take little steps towards creating a better and healthier future for our children and ourselves! I know at least 10 women who have switched from traditional feminine protection to the Diva Cup, that is saving our landfill from hundreds of used maxi pads and tampons. That is taking steps in the right direction.

I want my baby to see this...

...and I want our Earth to look like this...

...so I'm going to do my part.

Give the Diva Cup a try and say BYE-BYE to pads and tampons and WASTE that will kill our earth.

Preach Preach Preach...you're welcome.
Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

s l a c k e r

2010-02-10T13:26:00.004-07:00

My bad.

Forgive my lack of posts in the last week. After finding out that we were going to be moving at the end of February- Charlotte and I made an impromptu trip to Calgary to look at houses. After 2 devastating places- we found the perfect home. I filled out the application, gave the guy our security deposit and then went back the next day to sign the papers. It's ours as of February 27th. We couldn't be more happy!

I've since been arranging to have things transfered from our place here to our new place. Changing addresses, arranging for utilities, water, gas, Internet etc...it's kept me on the phone for 2 whole nap times in the past 2 days.

Things are moving slowly on the packing front. I really feel like I want to pack and then when I start packing I think, "oh, I might need that next week" so the packing stops. I need to get over that, because chances are I won't need it and in the end I'll be rushed to pack everything- like our last move.

That being said- I know everything will get packed on time...because I have a lot of helpers this time 'round. We have friends and family on both ends who are going to offering some help. It is greatly appreciated- trust me.

In other news- I'm not buying groceries again until after our move. We have enough food in our freezer and pantry that we should be able to not shop (aside from milk) for the next 17 days. I'll let you know how that goes. I figure the more we can eat here, the less we have to move there...that being said- I will have one LARGE shopping bill once we move. Oh well. That's how it goes.

Ok- well I'm off to do recycling and clear out some room in my pantry for boxes...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

STRESSED

2010-02-04T14:11:00.002-07:00

Ok- so today....

shit

hit

the

fan.

Hello, my name is Erin, and I love making my life difficult. Really- it's a serious problem that needs to be address.

Today, after 4 days of trying to contact our landlord, we FINALLY received a return phone call and were told we are able to move out March 1st. Great! And then it sunk in...holy crap- I'm moving in 22 days and I have to pack up my entire house! Damn February for being so short.

Long story short, I've literally spent all afternoon on the phone- renting trucks, scheduling carpet cleaners, calling Landlords about viewings, and of course, giving my Father a play-by-play...the list goes on...it's retarded!

Initally, Tuesday was going to be the day to view potential homes but after calling 2 places and being told they were already rented, I had a mini meltdown, bumped my trip to Calgary and am now going on Saturday so I can see the places, make a choice and then sign a Lease so that we aren't homeless. *takes a breath*

Moving is not Frugal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially since we are moving into a more expensive city, meaning: higher rent, higher electricity/heat/utilities bills, higher insurance etc etc etc...

This is my second time moving in less then a year...BUT it will be my last time moving for a few years. There are some really nice places that I am going to be looking at...and I'm feeling hopeful that one of them will feel 'right'.

Until then, I have a lot of packing, purging and organizing to do. Stay tuned tomorrow for Frugal Moving tips...because there are some. :)

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Call for help!

2010-02-01T10:52:00.002-07:00

We. Are. All. Sick.

It sucks.

Just a nasty cold, but we all have it and we are all pretty much miserable.

Believe me when I say that there is very little that I can do for my little grumpy monkey.

I don't believe in drugging my child- so I've been giving her a homeopathic remedy during the day and a very small (1/4 the recommend dose) of Mortin at night. I've been pumping her full of apple juice (1/2 juice, 1/2 water) and giving her lots of oranges and other fruits high in Vitamin C. She won't nurse because she can't breathe and she wants nothing to do with her milk. She doesn't want to eat anything.

Me? I have a sore throat, a killer case of the chills and a lot of aches and pains. I slept from 7:30pm-8:30am. I'm still not feeling 100%.

What do you do to make yourself and your children feel better when you all feel like crap? I don't want to go out to buy anything, and I'm not a fan of OTC medications.

Comment below and let me know what gets you on the mend ASAP.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Essentials

2010-01-28T15:20:00.004-07:00

Having a well stocked pantry is key to living frugally. Having a well stocked freezer is also key to living frugally. Your goal should be to stock up on a few items each week- items that are on sale, or at a discounted price. Below I will provide you with a list of what I consider 'essentials' for a pantry and a freezer.

Pantry Essentials.
Foundations.

Brown, White, Basmati, Jasmine Rice
Pasta (Spaghetti, Macaroni, Penne, Couscous)
Canned or Dried Beans (Black, Kidney, Garbanzo)
Canned Tuna/Salmon
Flour (All-Purpose & Whole Wheat)
Cornmeal
Grains (Quinoa, Barley)
Potatoes

Flavour.

Vinegars (Red wine, Cider, White)
EVOO
Soy Sauce
Mustard (Dijon, dried)
Salsa
Garlic (fresh and dried)
Peanut Butter
Tahini
Onions
An array of spices (Oregano, Basil, Coriander, Ginger, Cinnamon, Chilies etc)

Assistants.

Chicken/Vegetable/Beef Broth (I use bouillon cubes)
Canned Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Baking Powder & Soda

Sweet.

Honey
Brown & White Sugar
Confectioner's Sugar
Cocoa
Molasses
Chocolate chips

Freezer Essentials.
Meats.

Chicken Breasts
Chicken Thighs
Whole Chicken
Steak
Ground Beef
Ground Turkey
Whole Turkey
Pork (Chops and Tenderloin)

Vegetables.

Frozen Green Beans
Frozen Mixed Vegetables
California Mix
Frozen Corn

Fruits.

Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Bananas
Peaches
Tomatoes

Other.

Baked Goods
Ice Cream
Frozen 'freebie' meals.

These items are all considered 'essentials' because they are regularly used things. I keep my pantry stocked so that I'm:

not scrambling
not needing to run out during the day the get [insert item here] for dinner (which inevitably end up costing you quite a bit extra if you do it regularly).
able to eat 'pantry meals' which I are pretty much 'freebie' meals during the week.

It's easy to keep your pantry stocked. Make sure you have at least 1-2 cans ALWAYS on hand, and make sure that when things are looking low, you ensure that that week you purchase the 1 or 2 items that you need to restock your pantry.

One of my favourite places to go to stock my pantry is Bulk Barn. I can literally re-stock all my spices (we have a spice rack with 16 different spices in it) for less then $5. I can also get all my dried beans (garbanzo, kidney etc) and then just rehydrate them the day before I want to use them. It costs me cents! I've started purchasing my sugar from here as well, as it turns out to be MUCH cheaper then buying the prepackaged stuff. I buy my flour at Costco as it is the cheapest I've found so far. I do A LOT of baking (bread, buns, cookies, muffins etc) so I go through a lot of flour. As for the canned goods, I personally like Walmart. The no named stuff is WAY cheaper then the brand named stuff- and it's the exact same thing. I buy no name whenever I can- it's what all the cool kids are doing. I can all my own tomatoes, salsa, pickles, pickled carrots, cherries, applesauce and jams. I spend approximate $70 on 100lbs of tomatoes, which make approximately 30-40 jars of tomatoes and one batch of salsa which yields 12-15 jars. I'm talking the quart sized jars..not the small ones. I got my all apples free this year (I just had to pick them) and I got my grapes for free (I had to pick them too) as well. I think I got about 20 jars of applesauce and about 12 jars of grape jam...for basically no cost (aside from the cost of pectin and sugar). All my canning takes me a few weeks- but then I'm good for a year- maybe a year and a half. I personally think home canned things taste WAY better then the stuff you can buy in a can. AND I know what it in it so I know what my family is ingesting. In the summer, I buy extra fresh fruit (when it is on sale) and freeze it for the winter. It's great for smoothies, baking and just eating and it's much cheaper then buying the packaged pre-frozen stuff.

Keeping a well stocked pantry and freezer can cost you a few extra dollars a week (if that) and it is well worth it in the end.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

It's not FREE for everyone...

2010-01-27T14:28:00.003-07:00

Sometimes I take for granted the fact that I can just walk into a doctors office, see a doctor and then leave with a prescription in hand. And by me, I mean my husband- as he is slowly recovering from a nasty sinus infection. We are very lucky that we live in the country we do.

I don't think I would like to have to pay to give birth in a hospital.

Or pay outrageous sums to Insurance Companies to ensure that I am covered in case of an emergency.

We DO pay for some extended heath insurance- dental, vision, prescriptions etc...but I'm ok with that, and really, to have only have to pay 80% of dental visits and prescriptions and to get a free pair of glasses every year- it is worth it to me. I would just hate to have to pay for it all.

Which brings me to this... *which I got in an e-mail that I have just copy and pasted*

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

I believe that everyone is entitled to the best health care available.

Do your part...I'm doing mine...

Remember the golden rule? You never know when you are going to need help- so take ONE SECOND and help someone else...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Him.

2010-01-26T22:21:00.002-07:00

Because I love him with all my heart.

As Tricia Sees It...

2010-01-25T14:07:00.003-07:00

Happy Day!

My Life has forever changed..... as a first time Mom of a 6.5 month old I am really discovering what people meant when they said ‘your life will forever change’. I knew that things were going to change, but I do not think that I realized the true extent of it. As the mother of a breastfed daughter (not sure how long it will last if she keeps biting and holding on – story for another time), who does not like to sleep I really do not get any time to myself.

There are days where I feel ambitious and try to start projects, begin to bake or open up a book… and those are the days that she will nap for 20 min… or spit her soother out every 10min and keep me running…. Or just not nap at all. It is always the days that I put her down and think that she will not sleep long, therefore no point in starting anything, and low and behold – 2.5 hours later she wakes up and I have accomplished nothing. It is frustrating, exciting and baffling but every day is a new adventure.

My daughter is wonderful ~ Her smiles are heartbreaking. Her laughter is contagious. Her kisses are precious. Her facial expressions are amusing. Her heart is uplifting. My life has changed forever and I am so thankful that I no longer have time ‘to myself’ as it means that I am fortunate enough to have an amazing daughter to spend my time with.

……..

In the dwindled ‘me’ time that I have, I like to keep myself busy. Lately I became bored with my usual tasks and ventured out for some new ideas. I came across some AWESOME blogs with great do-it-yourself projects. Here are a couple of my favourites (they honestly have a little bit of everything for everyone no matter what previous skills or talents you have)

Little Birdie Secrets

Somewhat Simple

The Art of Crochet

While They Sleep

My most recent projects have been a crocheted toque with purple flowers(LOVE IT!), a shopping cart cover and I am starting nursing covers. I am thrilled.

………

Last but not least for guest blogger number 1 ~ a little something to make you laugh

**A married couple rushed to the hospital because the woman was in labor the doctor asked the couple, "I have invented a new machine that you might want to try, it takes some of the labor pains away from the mother and gives it to the father." So the married couple decided that they would try this. So the doctor hooked the machine up and put it on 10% of pain switched from the mother to the father and the husband said "I feel okay turn it up a lot more" so the doctor turned it up to 50% and the husband said "why don't you just put it all on me cause I'm not feeling a thing" but the doctor warned them "this much could kill you if your not prepared", and the husband replied "I am ready" so the doctor turned the machine up to 100% but the husband didn't feel a thing so they went home happy with a pain free labor, but when they got home the mailman was dead on the front porch ** (Jokes DB)

** Three men were discussing at a bar about coincidences. The first man said, " my wife was reading a "tale of two cities" and she gave birth to twins"

"That's funny", the second man remarked, "my wife was reading 'the three musketeers' and she gave birth to triplets"

The third man shouted, "Good God, I have to rush home!"

When asked what the problem was, he exclaimed, “When I left the house, my wife was reading Ali baba and the forty Thieves"!!!** (Jokes-DB)

That is all,
Tricia

Thank You SOOOO much to our FIRST Guest Blogger- you did an awesome job Tricia!

SEX- it's everywhere! rant

2010-01-24T21:06:00.002-07:00

I believe this song came out when I was in junior high. I LOVED it, but I had no idea why. Clearly- I was completely unaware of the SEXUAL message that it was sending me and all of my young and innocent friends. As a mother of a daughter- can you imagine my fears of her listening to crap like this?! It's frightening, every line in this song is encouraging sex. This one goes down in the books as a song she will NEVER EVER be able to listen too. I've add some commentary...

Get Down On You- B4-4

I will be the one to love and comfort you from now until the day I die. They all say that...
I will take you places that you only think about when you're asleep at night. Excuse me??
Let me take the time to understand and I will SET YOUR SPIRIT FREE. My spirit is fine thank you.

If you get down on me, I'll get down on you. How about NO.
I will do anything that you want me to. Anything? How about jump off a cliff?
It's a game of give and take to make it through. Really? Give & Take? haha...
So if you get down on me, I'll get down on you tonight. No you will not.

When night time turns to day again.
And you are on my mind. He just wants you to believe this...
winter turns to spring and then,
life has past you by. Can you say pressure??
But now we are so young and free. So that makes it ok?
But we're running out of time. NO- you'll have your whole life!
So while we've got each other here. Yes- by NOT having sex!
Let's treat our bodies right. By not having sex!

I wanna know, exactly what to do,
So that you'll never get me off of your mind. Respect my wishes...
Communicate, and I'll go undercover Under my covers??
Gonna make you come tonight, OMG- that is all...
Over to my house, You just added that in so it didn't sound so naughty...

If you get down on me, I'll get down on you, No
I will do anything that you want me to, No
It's a game of give and take to make it through. No
So if you get down on me, I'll get down on you tonight. No

I'm not the type to change your mind, Riiiiiiiiiiight....
If you wanna take it slow. Slow as in- get married first??
No pressure to go all the way. haha- how about you read the lyrics to this song...
Just to the places we can go. Like my parents house...or out for dinner...

Anytime is the right time to reveal it when two people
Fall as deep as you and me, LUST does not equal LOVE
I wanna know every inch of your body, so I can set your spirit free. I don't even know every inch of my body.

If you get down on me, I'll get down on you, I'd rather not
I will do anything that you want me to, How about watching Twilight?
It's a game of give and take to make it through. Whatev...
So if your get down on me, I'll get down on you tonight. What does that even MEAN?

I will be the one to love and comfort you from now until the day I die. They all say that...
I will take you places that you only think about when you're asleep at night. You know that I dream of an all-inclusive resort in Mexico?!
If you open up to me, Open what up? Not my legs...
I'll make you realize the things that you could never see. I'm alright with that...
Let me take the time to understand and I will SET YOUR SPIRIT FREE. I like my spirit where it is thank you.

If you get down on me, I'll get down on you, That doesn't sound like much fun.
I will do anything that you want me to, How about NOT having sex!
It's a game of give and take to make it through. Scrabble is a great non-physical game.
So if your get down on me, I'll get down on you tonight. I'd get in trouble...

Repeat.

Ok- so after that, I must confess, I don't always let my child listen to the cleanest of music. I taught my niece Fergalicious a couple years ago- it was hilarious at the time, but now I'm wondering why her parents didn't kick me in the teeth. As a responsible adult I have questionable taste in music- but I'm more about the beat and groove, and not so much about the message it is trying to convey. I'd like to pass that along to my daughter. As of right now, in her 17.5 months of life, her favourite songs are those with beats she can dance too...I think I'm doing alright.

End Rant.
Erin B.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2010-01-23T21:14:00.004-07:00

Today at the Item Exchange- I picked up a GARBAGE BAG worth of clothing.

I also picked up a few cookbooks, the WHOLE Little House on the Prairie book series and a few other books.

1 hours of time = a TON of free stuff.

I'm not greedy- I only took clothing that would fit one of my two nephew's or my beautiful daughter...I left all the other stuff there for other Mommy's. It was tempting though, there was some really cute newborn girl/boy stuff that I would of liked to have taken, but I didn't...because I'm not greedy. I also donated our old entertainment unit. It was given to us by my BFF back when we got married- so I didn't feel right taking money for it. Give a little, get a lot. Today was a success in the 'get-stuff-for-free' department.

I wanted to share this with you all- because things like this HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. Seriously, this is the second free item/clothing exchange that I've been to in less then 6 months. You just gotta know who to ask.

Apparently there is a Chili-thon coming up...free food = happy Erin.

My suggestion to those of you who are jealous...ask around, go to community centers, make friends with 17 year old (or not, whateva...) and I'm sure you'll find some wicked awesome stuff yourself. OR, better yet- organize one yourself. I'll try to attend it. You know how I get around free stuff....

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Kill Bill- Vol 1 & Vol 2.

2010-01-23T00:25:00.003-07:00

I forgot how awesomely violent and gory these movies are.

I almost yakked 3 times tonight while watching them.

It sure didn't help that I had heartburn- and was slightly light-headed...

That combined with the spraying blood, limb removal, beheading, stabbing, slashing etc...I'm surprised I could keep the bile down.

Lawrence was on the computer ALL. NIGHT. I asked for an hour if he was almost done- and each time, "yes, just a few more minutes..." (read: 60 minutes, read: the WHOLE freaking movie).

He said I wouldn't be able to watch both movies in one night. I wouldn't have, especially not feeling how I did tonight...but I did- just to prove I could.

My brother-in-law cannot watch the Kill Bill movies, because every time he hears "bang bang" he laughs like a little girl...nice Matt. Luckily he wasn't around to participate in tonight's escapades.

Now, I feel like crap. I'm tired. My hair is a mess. And I kind of wish I had some mad Samurai Sword Skillz...

Tomorrow will be better.

Tomorrow I will be going to our Church for a Free Item Exchange...I'm sure to score a bunch of sweet stuff.

Free stuff will make up for the epic fail that was my evening.

How did I find out about this awesome Exchange? I befriended a 17 year old...she knows all the inside stuff. Definite Bonus.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

PS: No meal plan this week- I shopped for $34 last week and it was enough to last us 2 weeks- that is how AWESOME I am. I just need milk. I rock.

They Can Smell Fear.

2010-01-21T20:01:00.005-07:00

I'm a teacher.

I've been given the power to mold the minds of our future generations- who thought that was a good idea?

Yes- I have a lot of great ideas, a sparkling personality and I carry myself with poise and confidence- all things that 'ideally' would make a good teacher.

Then throw in my stubbornness, my lack of flexibility and my 'my-way-or-the-highway' attitude and I'm pretty sure I'm a tragic accident waiting to happen.

And unfortunately, that 'accident' will happen in front of a bunch of high school students.

High school students scare the crap out of me.

High school students will rip the limbs from my body.

They can smell fear.

I'm freaking out.

I can do kids under 11 years of age. For one thing, I'm taller then they are. For another, they are still innocent and think their teacher's know everything. High school students- DIFFERENT. STORY. They know it all. Haven't you heard? Teachers don't know a thing when it comes to teaching pubescent adolescents. They are right, you are wrong. End. Of. Story.

That, right there, freaks me out.

I'll know I'm right, they'll know I'm right, but because they are bigger then I am, they will win. Damn my short stature...

So- I bought new shoes!

They are supposed to make me feel better about this whole 'teaching experience' that will inevitable be my demise come March 8th.

They pretty much rock.

I paid FULL PRICE FOR THEM.

If it is one thing I firmly believe, it is that shoes should never be bought used. They should be borrowed or bought on sale- but never used. You'll get warts, or Athlete's Foot, or something else nasty...NOT GOOD. *The only FRUGAL point of the day*

I went to the mall with a 17-year-old teenage girl. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the enemy (Miss S is not the enemy, but she shares the gender) so that I can feel prepared when I step through the doors of the Prison (literally, the school was designed after a Prison) in March. We went with the intent to let Charlotte burn off some energy- and ended up buying me new shoes, a few $2.50 shirts (yea, I can sniff out a bargain anywhere) and a donut.

My new shoes rock.

If anyone disses them, I'll kick them.

These are my teacher shoes.

I shall wear them with pride as I am fed to the lions.

I hope they think I'm cool...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Photo

2010-01-20T16:07:00.005-07:00

Contemplating life.
Is it really worth it?
I mean I spend a ridiculous amount of time meal planning, budgeting, shopping, saving and then re-calculating 3 times over to make sure I have it right.
We are financially stable and independent.

We work hard for the money we make and spend it wisely.
Yet, part of me wonders what it would be like not to have to worry about stuff like student loans, a $40/week grocery budget...
I don't remember ever living frivolously.
When I was 18, I worked so that I could party.
I didn't have much responsibility to anyone but myself- I made sure I was happy and healthy.
Now- there is a husband and a child involved, and I feel compelled not to drive us into the depths of credit card debt.
I'm not even sure I could do that- even if I didn't have a sense of responsibility to my family- I'm not sure I could throw caution to the wind and spend recklessly.
But if I could- I might enjoy it for a day.
Just one day.
Because then I'd wake up and realize that I'm smarter then that.

All of that- because of one photo.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

The Results Are In...

2010-01-17T11:48:00.006-07:00

...and I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed.

It was a tie. A. TIE.

Unbelievable!

I mean I didn't spend hours upon hours- measuring, mixing, rising, rolling, cutting and baking to have tie results! (well, I guess I did).

I decided that the toddler votes didn't count, because they liked whatever I gave them- so they were void, which left the 4 adults with spilt results.

Because I'm the one who did all the work I figure I can be the best judge of things OUTSIDE of the tasting. The ingredients, the dough consistency, ease of baking etc. You'll get a FULL breakdown from yours truly, and then results of the tasting from the other 3.

The Recipes!

Recipe #1
Breadmaker Cinnamon Rolls
1 1/2 Cups warm water
4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 Egg
4 Cups of flour
1 Tbsp quick rise yeast (I am a big fan of Fermipan)

Softened Margarine
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar

Put all ingredients in breadmaker in order listed. When you get to the yeast, put it in a well in the flour. Set breadmaker to dough setting. Roll out dough and spread a thin layer or margarine (or butter, whatever floats your boat) on top. Cover the margarine with a good layer of brown sugar, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll like a jelly roll and slice. Place slices in a greased 9X13 pan. Let rise for 1 hour then bake in a 350 degree F oven until done.

Recipe #2
INGREDIENTS (for the dough):
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast (regular yeast seems to work just fine)

INGREDIENTS (for the cinnamon mixture):
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. (I just let the dough sit in the pan for awhile after the cycle is over rather than letting it rest on a floured surface.)

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. (I use Pam to spray the surface that I roll the dough on.)

Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan.

Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. (I usually make mine in the evenings and I let them rise overnight in the refrigerator so I can just pop them in the oven in the morning.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

~~
Ok- first off, as you can see, the ingredients are similar. One uses essentials that you can find in your pantry and one uses more expensive ingredients. I thought for sure this would make a difference in the long run- but it totally did not. Anything that did go wrong- was completely my fault for making assumptions. (read: quick rising yeast is NOT the same as regular bread machine yeast).

So my favourite dough was recipe #2. It was a breeze to roll out, it rolled nicely, and it was over all, just a very nice dough. Dough #1 was full of air bubbles which *granted* was my fault, but even with just rolling it out it wasn't as smooth or as elastic-y as #2. Word from the wise? If you are going to use regular yeast, drop the amount to 2.5tsp and I'm sure the dough will be great.

After they were rolled up and needed to be cut, I noticed a huge difference in my ability to do so. Recipe #1 was sticky and difficult to cut into equal sized buns. Granted, I'm not sure how much was my fault with the yeast or just the dough...but that is what I noticed. Recipe #2 was a breeze to cut out and stayed its shape while it rose in the oven.

The 2 batches took different amount of time to bake as well. Recipe #1 took almost an hour while recipe #2 took about 27 minutes. I don't think that made any difference- they both browned nicely and were not dry.

I used a secret frosting recipe which I will not be sharing (sorry ladies). By the request of Ms. B, she wants to keep it on the downlow- which is A-OK with me. She was kind enough to share it with me for the battle, and I promise to take it to the grave. It's easy to whip up- but really...any kind of cream cheese icing/frosting would have worked just fine.

Now onto the results of the taste test.
Judge #1- Mr M.
Sample #1:
without frosting 3/5
with frosting 4/5
total- 7/10
Sample #2:
without frosting 3/5
with frosting 3/5
total: 6/10

Judge #2- Miss S.
Sample #1:
without frosting 4/5
with frosting 5/5
total- 9/10
Sample #2:
without frosting 3/5
with frosting 4/5
total: 7/10

Judge #3- Erin.
Sample #1:
without frosting 3/5
with frosting 4/5
total- 7/10
Sample #2:
without frosting 4/5
with frosting 4.5/5
total: 8.5/10

Judge #4- The Hubs
Sample #1:
without frosting 3.75/5
with frosting 4.16/5
total- 7.91/10
Sample #2:
without frosting 4.5/5
with frosting 4.65/5
total: 9.15/10

OVERALL Recipe # 1: 30.91/40
OVERALL Recipe #2: 30.65/40

So, as you can see, Recipe #1 won by 0.26 but in the end I broke it down to 2 liked the first and 2 liked the second. I will say that both sets of buns were slightly dry, but when put in the microwave for 20 seconds on high, it softens them right up and melts the icing just a little bit. :)

I hope that helps you guys...I wouldn't say that either of these recipes are 'the-best-cinnamon-buns-in-the-world' but they were both very yummy. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for more cinnamon bun recipes and try this again in the future.

And now- for the pictures.
Go ahead...drool...

Recipe #1

Recipe #2

There you have it.
The Battle of the Buns.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Battle of the Buns

2010-01-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

I love cinnamon buns.

Two friends have recently posted recipes on their blogs.

HERE and HERE.

Two similar yet different recipes and I am intrigued to try both. One calls for more 'expensive' ingredients and the other has all things that are pantry items.

My brother-in-law is staying with us this weekend, so I decided it would be the prefect time to try out BOTH recipes and see which one is actually better.

There will be 6 judges (2 of whom are toddlers). I will post the results on Saturday afternoon after the scheduled tasting on Saturday morning.

They will both be served with Ms. B's glorious Cinnabon Frosting. It's to die for, so good in fact that it would make poop taste good (I'm not even kidding you).

May the best BUN win...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Intended for WOMEN only...TMI below.

2010-01-13T22:39:00.008-07:00

Title says it all...if you are a boy- stop reading this now. It will only make you blush.

Seriously- turn away now....

I warned you....

Ok ladies- so we all dread that time of the month- when things get all...well...weird...down south in our girly parts. If you are like me, it's not a very pleasant thing, between the cramps, the cravings, the PMSing and the BLOOD (eww!) it's really a week that I wish I never had to suffer through. I went for 17 months without a period- and post partum, I must say, it has returned with a vengence. *le sigh*

Recently I've been looking for something more environmentally friendly, cheaper and better for my health, something that isn't a MAXI PAD or a TAMPON...and I stumbled upon a Diva Cup. It appears almost to good to be true. It is reusable, it doesn't fill our landfills or clog our toilets, and it's a one time purchase, lasting you quite a few years- instead of, well...a few hours.

In light of my recent obsession with online shopping, and at the recommendation of a good friend, I stumbled upon this site, which sells them for CHEAP- less then $25 (that includes shipping) AND I don't have to go out and try to find one. Done deal. Since I have a few weeks between now and when that evil Aunt Flow will rear her ugly head- it should arrive in plenty of time.

So you think $25 is a bit much? It isn't. Once again, I will break it down *mathmatically speaking* to show you how it WILL save you money.

A thing of pads will run you a minimum of $5 *depending on the brand*

A box of tampons will run you anywhere between $7-10 *depending on the brand*
A thing of pads will last you 2 cycles? A box of tampons the same? So we are looking at between $10-$15 every 2 cycles- which breaks down to $5-$7 a cycle. Times that by 12, and you are looking at anywhere between $60-$84 A YEAR on feminine protection. That number shocks me. I just paid $25 and it will last me more then a year...probably 2 if not more! So I'm looking at a maximum savings of $143 dollars for 2 years! And what makes it even better- that is 2 years worth of stuff that I am not throwing into our landfills or flushing down our toilets.

Still freaked out at the thought of using a Diva Cup? Check out their site and have some of your questions answered. Want to hear a real person, giving a real recommendation? Check back here in a month or so and I will let you know what I think about it. :)

Until then- happy periods! (hahaha)

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

To Shop or Not To Shop- that is the question....

2010-01-13T15:26:00.003-07:00

I love shopping.

I love it even more when I don't have to leave my house to do it.

Enter- online shopping.

Now- there are some good and bad things when it comes to online shopping, a Pros/Cons list if you will.

Pros:
-I don't have to leave my house
-I can access WAY more stuff in less time then if I were driving.
-Better for the environment because I'm not driving/using gas (cheaper too)
-More selection
-Better Deals

Cons:
-You can't try anything on (I rarely buy clothes for myself online though)
-You are taking the word of the seller that the item is in good shape.
-Shipping costs.
-You need to have a credit card (although a lot of places are now taking Debit online- sweet)

Ok- so those are just a few things off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more- but for the sake of this post- that's my list.

Now my rule when it comes to online shopping is it has to be free- or pretty stinking close to free for me to even consider buying it- and then it depends on shipping costs. Shipping is what usually bites you in the butt- which is a definite draw back when it comes to shopping online. There are ways around this- like buying above a certain amount and getting free shipping...but I guess you would be spending more money that way- and if the whole point of online shopping is to save money, then that kind of defeats the point. Right?

So today, I did some online shopping. And I'm going to pass along a few tips and a promo code so that if you are INTERESTED you can go do some online shopping for yourself.

I bought some books today- which is rare for me. I don't often buy books, and when I do, I get smutty romance novels for $0.50 at garage sales or I buy them from friends for cheap (thanks Linda for the Twilight books!) To be honest, I usually just borrow books, that way I keep them off my already stuffed book shelf, but I bought 2 today. I bought them used, online, for less then $7 a book and with shipping, my order came to just over $20- which is less then buying them new from Walmart, Costco or even Superstore (all 3 places offer 30% off bestsellers). At the recommendation of a fellow Vampire Obsessed friend I purchased the first book of the Sookie Stackhouse Series (True Blood series on HBO is based on these books) and the first book for the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series. So for just over $20 both of these books are going to be shipped to my house in 1-2 weeks. I'm not saying it's an extremely good deal- but it makes me happy and I have enough reading material to last me a few weeks until they arrive. These books are hard to come by right now as they are snatched up quickly so I figured it would be best for me to buy them this way and avoid the hassle of driving around trying to find them. I shopped HERE it always is a good deal. I would also like to mention that I usually try and buy my textbooks through here as well. I got a brand new textbook for $12 last semester, when it sells for $80+ in our University bookstore. Can you say deal?? I recently sold it for $50- so I actually made a profit...go figure eh!

As a Mom, with friends who are either Moms, Mom-to-be's or one day Mom-to-be's, I like to make sure that I always have Baby Shower gifts on hand. You never know when you are going to need something. I came across this online company a while ago, and bought one of there Nursing Covers. As a breastfeeding advocate (going on 17 months with Miss C.) I like to encourage my fellow Mom's to do the same. I really liked this company, my product was shipped quickly, and I got it within the estimated time. I got the nursing cover for free and paid $8.99 for shipping. $8.99 for a Nursing Cover is almost unheard of. Unless you are prepared to make your own (which I will definitely try next time) I don't think you can get one for any cheaper. Recently I received another email from the owner of the company with another promotion. This one is almost to good to be true- so I thought I would pass it along to my friends. You get an Udder Cover™ nursing cover of your choice, a matching Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelet and 2 pairs of 5 ply washable 100% cotton breast pads- for $5, which is a 90% saving. This is almost free! With shipping the total is $14.95- which IS AN INCREDIBLE DEAL! The whole package is worth $45...so you can see the savings here. I'd stock up if I were you. If you are interested in purchasing your own gift set or one for an expectant mother or friend, the promo code is "thanks". You can click HERE for the website.

That is all from me today.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Friends Supporting Friends

2010-01-12T12:38:00.002-07:00

I love supporting my friends.

Kind of the Golden Rule- do unto others as you would have them do unto you...

Not only do I love FREE STUFF, but I also love it when my friends giveaway FREE STUFF.

Interested?

CLICK HERE and enter for your chance to win something totally unique.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

The World According to Tricia

2010-01-11T19:52:00.005-07:00

Hey, well to introduce myself, I am guest blogger number one. I grew up and continue to live on the great prairies of Saskatchewan. I live with my wonderful husband and beautiful 6 month old daughter. Now to start off, I have not always been very frugal, but seeing as my husband is the least most frugal person I know… I had to become one. I found writing this blog to be quite difficult as I kept asking myself these questions, therefore writing, and re-writing..… Should I be funny? Serious? What do guest bloggers even write about? Should I share my own views? Opinions?

I had lots of ideas but really did not know where to start. So I started to think about what I am good at and what others like and I came up with cooking and crafts. So I will share a couple of my favourite recipes and a couple ideas for sending cards.

~~

Surprise Dip
I make this dip with whatever I have in my fridge, so it is great for if people just pop by or a good way to use up some veggies.

You will need these 3 ‘staple’ items for the recipe
Cream cheese (softened)
Salsa (homemade or store bought)
Cheese (grated)

Spread your soften cream cheese on the bottom of a plate, then pour on the salsa and cover in grated cheese. That is the basic and easiest version but I like to add the following (depending on what is in the cupboard)

Chopped celery, diced tomatoes, chopped green/red or yellow pepper, green onion, carrot (grated or chopped). And if you are feeling really generous I like to add refried bean (between the salsa and cream cheese layer)

It is easy, always a favourite and quite healthy.

Another easy recipe that freezes really well

Monster Cookies
4 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup butter/margarine
3 eggs
2 ¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 cup peanut butter
2 tsp. baking soda
½ cup wheat germ
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup of sunflower seeds & coconut & raisins & chocolate Chips (add all or whichever ones you would like)

Mix all together and bake a 350’ for 8 min. (if they are not sticking together just add more peanut butter)

They freeze really well and taste fabulous – my favourite cookie.

~~

I find that I am constantly looking for birthdays, weddings, thank-you’s etc…. cards for people in my life. I have 3 suggestions for you to send cards cheaper, if not free.

1. Send an e-card. There are lots of great places if you just Google free e-cards. But one of my favourite sites to use is hallmark.com. You can go into e-cards and then look through the free ones; there are lots of great ones! You can also choose to pay a small fee to have access to hundreds of cards for a year, A lot cheaper than 5 dollars a card.

2. Make them yourself! Buy simple stamps or stickers that would apply to whatever card you buy/need the most of (Michael’s carries bins of these for $2-5 each), some card stock (dollar store) and voila you have the tools to be creative and make a one of a kind card. If you feel like you are not creative and need ideas, just search online and you will find lots of great ideas and templates. (you can also pick up little items for cheap and dress up your cards for cheap, for example: string a piece of ribbon through the top of a pop can, and now it to look like a buckle!)

2.5 Re-use, if you don’t mind recycling cards that you have been given. You can cut the back off and then ‘stitch’ a new piece of paper on. Or just fold a piece of card stock accordingly to size, and glue the cover, poem etc. to the card. It is more the thought that counts and you can be as creative as you like combining ideas, poems and items.

3. Check out the Dollar-stores. You can sometimes find really cute/nice cards for a dollar, or 50c.

If you are going to make your own cards and feel like you have no ideas, or lack the ambition to do it on your own (as I know I sometimes feel) here are my suggestions. Find other people that like to make cards or scrapbook and plan one day a month, or every so often, get together with them and make cards. Being around other people is sometimes all that I need to spark my creativity. Another good way to make cards within a group setting is for you to design one (or two) cards. You will then cut out enough supplies for each person in your group to re-create your same card. If everyone does this, then you get to leave an afternoon with numerous new cards and ideas.

Well those are my frugal ideas for now....until next time...

~Trisha

((Applause for our first guest blogger please!))

Kind of sorry, but not really...

2010-01-09T23:39:00.002-07:00

I've been MIA for a little while.

Shocking isn't it...

I usually post every day *with the exception of Sundays*.

If you MUST know, I've been re-reading the Twilight Series, and I swear to you, the second I start I just have to keep going until it is all over.

It was easier the first time round- Charlotte was 6 months old, still napping 3 times a day for 2 hours at a time (read: 6 hours of undisturbed reading time during the day) and then I would stay up AFTER she went to bed...I zoomed through the books much faster, as you can imagine.

This time round, between the needy, teething, screaming/crying toddler, the 1 short 2-3 hour nap, and many more things to do (read: 30 Day Shred and sleeping) it's taking me longer. I should be done tomorrow.

Until then...I will rest easy knowing that I get to sleep next to my Edward (read: Lawrence) every night from now until...well...forever I hope. :)

Well Read AND Frugally Yours (I bought the books used, 4 for $20),
Erin B.

Team Edward

Frugal Joke

2010-01-06T13:13:00.003-07:00

I'm immature. I'm 100% OK with that.

Mary's fourth-grade homework assignment was to make sentences using the words in her spelling list, along with the definition.

Coming across the word "frugal" in the list, she asked her father what it meant. He explained that being frugal meant you saved something.

Her paper read:

Frugal: to save

Sentence: Maid Marion fell into a pit when she went walking in the woods so she yelled for someone to come get her out.

She yelled "Frugal me, Frugal me!"
*Credit*

And this = AWESOME!

That is all.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Frugal Craft

2010-01-04T20:00:00.003-07:00

I was feeling creative today.

I needed to make something that I couldn't eat.

I made Charlotte a new Blankie. (Side Note: she wanted to take it to 'nighnigh" with her, but I can hear her playing with it now, instead of sleeping...tsk tsk)

Now, I've seen these things being sold for OUTRAGEOUS prices so I made mine out of stuff I already had in the house, which of course = FREE.

What's even better? It literally took me an hour to do, which is SO awesome. I plan on making tons of these things and giving them away as gifts- Birthdays, Christmas (damn it just passed), Baby Showers, New Arrivals- you name it. They are super easy to make and they are super cute. So if you are someone close to me, who has a youngster/are expecting- then you know what you/your child will be getting sometime in the future.

I made this one out of 3 old flannel receiving blankets and some left over ribbons from tutus and hair bows.

TAGGIE BLANKIE
What you will need:
4- 8" square pieces of flannel (complimenting colours. I plan on making one tomorrow out of fleece)
1- 16" *roughly* piece of flannel (for back, complimenting colour)
7- 12" pieces of various complimentary *or not* ribbons
Needles & Thread
Straight Pins
Ruler
Scissors
Iron
Sewing Machine

All Seams: 1/4"

1. From 2 coordinating Flannel pieces, cut two 8" squares from each fabric.

2. With right sides together, pin and sew pieces together; press seams towards fabric B.

3. Place patchwork (blankie top) piece with the 3rd flannel piece (blankie bottom) right sides together. Trim pieces to be even.

4. Cut all ribbon into 3" pieces. Place blankie top right side up (so you can see the patchwork). Fold each piece of ribbon in half, and pin in place with the loop pointing towards the centre. Stitch into place.

5. Place blankie top and bottom pieces right side together. Pin and stitch, leaving a 5" opening for turning. Trim Corners and turn blankie right side out.

6. Press and hand stitch (I used my machine along the very edge) the opening closed.

Finished Size: Approximated 15" x 15"

I am not very good at sewing, but this was SO easy. And totally free. :) Even if I have to buy new fabric (which I eventually will need to) it will still be pretty cheap, much cheaper then buying a name brand one, and WAY cooler because it is homemade. :)

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Poem for 2010.

2010-01-03T15:43:00.005-07:00

I decided to write you a poem, and a poet I am not. Enjoy!

2010.
It is time to make a change.
In the way I live my life.
With the start of a New Year upon me,
I vow to be a better Wife.

I promise to be a better Mother,
A better Daughter, Sister and Friend.
And if something bad should happen,
My loved ones I will defend.

A change in the way we eat,
In the way that we show our love.
And I'll do the best that I can,
With some help from that guy up above.

I want to be more active
I want to lose some weight
With some help from those around me,
I hope that it's in my fate.

My camera wants to capture more memories,
So I can document our lives.
I wish to forget all the bad things done,
And I hope my heart forgives.

So this year my wish is simple,
I wish for a better me.
I want to show my daughter,
Everything that she can be.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

The End of an Era...

2009-12-31T16:00:00.003-07:00

...and by Era, I mean year...and as of midnight, 2009 will be history. I've had an eventful past few years- and 2009 lived up to its predecessors...

2006- Engagement

2007- Marriage

2008- Baby

2009- Love

2010 is bound to be an exciting year- I mean there is never a dull moment in my life. With a toddler I'm always kept on my toes...

After crusing several of my favourite blogs, I was inspired by what the authors posted, lists of things they'd like to accomplish, goals they'd like to attain, ways they want to change their lives...

I'll post mine tomorrow.

Until then- I wish all a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2010...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Blog Worthy??

2009-12-29T15:41:00.002-07:00

I don't post things that I don't think are 'blog worthy'.

I also don't sit at my computer for hours reading useless crap online.

I wouldn't recommend said crap to my faithful readers because it is derogitory, offensive and even though quite funny, not something I'd want you to know that I enjoy.

So if I were you, I wouldn't click HERE or HERE or HERE.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

PS: Don't get mad at me...I warned you not to look.

Because I'm nice like that...

2009-12-28T15:07:00.002-07:00

Ask and you shall receive.

Frugal Shopper

Save.ca

Smart Canucks

Red Flags

Free Stuff

Flyerland

Good Bazaar

Fabulous Savings

Bargain Moose

Baby Steals

Grocery Alerts

Your Welcome.
Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

St. Stephen's Day

2009-12-26T14:30:00.003-07:00

Happy Boxing Day, aka: the Feast of Stephen's Day! *betcha didn't know that...*

Kim and I decided to brave the malls today.

I am SO glad we did.

I got the Hubby two pairs of NAMEBRAND jeans for $15.00 *each*! I kid you not! That is cheaper then Costco Brand!

I got some shirts for me for $2.50 *each*!

And I finally used a Gymboree giftcard that I got at one of my Baby Showers (over 17 months ago) and got Charlotte some clothes for the summer. I'm talking $40 dollar dresses (original ticketed price) for $6.99 and a pair of $50 shoes for $10.99. My giftcard was for $35 and I got Charlotte 8 items.

These types of sales are rare and I'm SO glad I went to the mall.

You should too.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

2009-12-25T13:39:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas!! Hope it was as good as ours!!

Frugally Yours,

Erin B, the Hubby and Miss C.

Seriously- I hope this was a joke...

2009-12-22T22:07:00.002-07:00

I was doing some research today and stumbled upon this...

Ok- so I filled my Purell bottles at the University but I think this is taking it one step to far...

What are your thoughts?!

*Comment please!*

Frugal Fun.

2009-12-21T13:29:00.003-07:00

Frugal [froo-guhl]: economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.

Fun [fuhn]: something that provides mirth or amusement.

*definitions from dictionary.com

Two things I LURVE...having fun and being frugal while doing so. Personally, I prefer doing activities with my family that cost us very little in the money department and rate high in the fun department. So I've compiled a list of fun frugal activity that you can enjoy over the Christmas Holidays (when money is short and you have LOTS of time) with your family.

Festival of Lights- many cities have tours of some of the best houses that are decorated over the Christmas Season. Some are driving tours and some are walking tours- but either way, they are both fun and enjoyable for everyone in your family.
A Live Nativity Pageant- I know of a handful of cities (including my small town) that put on live Nativity Pageants. They often run the week before Christmas, in the evenings often more then one show a night. I highly recommend trying to find one in your area. We've attended for the last 4 years and we will continue doing so for years to come. The best part- they are absolutely free and lots of fun! *Remember to dress warm and bring a blanket!*
Sledding/Tobogganing- totally fun for EVERYONE and totally cost efficient! I've found numerous sleds & toboggans on Kijiji for cheap- so if you don't have one, you can find one and not break the bank doing so. Moms, Dads, Kids- everyone enjoys speeding down a hill...
Make A Snowman- another enjoyable outside activity that is fun for the whole family. I guess the only killer for this and the one above would be a lack of snow- but here in Alberta there is no shortage.
The Christmas Train- ok so it has already been here- but I'm sure there are most stops on its way to...wherever it goes...and you should totally try to see it. It's free and fun! There is usually a Santa, free hot chocolate/coffee (ours was sponsored by Starbucks) and lots of singing and lights. To find out more, click HERE.
Church Parties- if you are a church goer- then you will know how awesome Church things are. This past weekend, we went to a Christmas Dinner & Dance and a Festival of Choirs...both of which were awesome. Charlotte got to see Santa at the Dinner & Dance, she also got to party with some of her little friends and we all enjoyed a tasty meal (free aside from the salad that we brought). The Festival of Choirs was incredible. We got to sing, we got to listen to beautiful Christmas Carole's and we got to visit with some of our family.
Making/Decorating a Gingerbread House- for the first time EVER I made a gingerbread house. It turned out great and we decorated it as a family. We spent UNDER $5 to make and decorate it (thank you Bulk Barn) and now we get to enjoy it.
I also wanted to mention that a lot of Library's have Christmas Story times and Arena's have free skates- so it's worth checking out your local community guides to see what is happening near you!

So, it's not an exhaustive list, but it should give you some ideas to keep you and yours occupied over the next few days. I hope you find some frugal fun in your area!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Erin = Lazy

2009-12-19T13:51:00.004-07:00

I hate to disappoint...again...but there will be no meal plan or grocery list this week. We are heading to Calgary on Wednesday and we have enough stuff to get us through the beginning of the week. In an attempt to save money, we will eat all the freebie meals in our deep freeze with veggies (carrots, celery, peppers etc) until we leave. That being said, I did buy milk mid-week...but hey- it had to be done.

I also think this would also be an appropriate time to let everyone know that....

I HAVE NOT FINISHED ALL OF MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING YET!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, that's huge news- you may have a moment to recover.

*moment*

How crazy is that?! I am one of the Queens of Organization Land and for the past...20 years or so, I've always had my Christmas shopping done LONG before the 3rd week in December. This year- with a toddler, working part-time, doing school full-time AND numerous other things- I just haven't had time. Some of my shopping is done, but definately not all of it. So even though I will be saving money because I won't be grocery shopping this week, I will be finishing off the Christmas shopping- so...in technical terms...no money saved.

I would also like to take a moment to give a SHOUT-OUT to all the wonderful ladies from Family Planning who have sent out beautiful Christmas cards. I don't think I've ever received so many cards before. You ladies are wonderful and I would like to thank you for the super awesome cards!

That is all folks. I'm heading back to the couch...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Stripping...

2009-12-18T23:07:00.002-07:00

...diapers you sicko!

SO I've been asked numerous times how I strip my cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are more work then disposables, but as I've said in previous posts, for me- the benefits outweigh the costs, so I personally, do not mind the extra work.

Are you ready for the super masculine metaphor?

Cloth diapers are like cars. You need to wash your car, you need to keep your car in working order which means getting regular maintenance done (ie: oil changes, tire rotations etc...). If you maintain your car, you will get more life out of it. Well, the same goes for cloth diapers. There are some basic 'rules' if you will, that will extend the life of your diapers and give you (and your child) a more enjoyable experience with them. When do you know you need to strip your diapers? If they have a slight smell (even after washing), if once soiled they have an ammonia smell, if you are experiencing leakages, if you don't wash your diapers for a week because of finals...... . . . . . . . *oops*

The Basics (ie: all you CDing Mom's should already know):

You must use additive-free laundry detergent. Click HERE for an exhaustive list of the good/bad/ugly detergents... I use ECOS but I have Nellie's on my list for the New Year.
Follow the instructions ON your diapers.
Hang dry whenever possible- and in the sun...this will help with an odor issues as well as any staining. If you cannot hang to dry- then use the lowest setting on your dryer.
Store soiled diapers in a DRY container. Back in the day a wet pail was used- it is now not recommended. If the smell bothers you (it shouldn't because you should be doing diapers every other day) but if it does- sprinkle some baking soda on them, or put a few drops of tea tree oil on a tissue in the bottom of your container.

Ok- that's pretty much common sense up there- but I just wanted to reiterate so that we are all on the same page. In addition to The Basics, stripping your diapers (every few months) should be part of your maintenance plan *even if they don't smell or are leaking*. For those who are unsure on HOW to do that, or for those who have yet to do it- here is a step-by-step guide (with pictures!). I recommend doing ALL your diapers at one time- which means your little one will probably have to be in disposables at least for a day. It's taken me 2 days *shame* to do mine...I could have done it in one day- but I'm busy...hehe.

So- without further adieu...

Step #1.
Collect all your diapers. Wash the dirty ones normally according to the instructions.

Step #2. *this is my own personal step. I spoke with reps from both FBs and BGs and they said this was acceptable*
Remove all the diapers from the wash. Start a soak cycle for the liners, add about 1/4-1/2 cup of chlorine-free bleach and let them soak while you scrub the diapers themselves...

Step #3.
Using the Original Dawn (blue in colour, it's hard to find but most Dollar Stores carry it) scrub each diaper thoroughly, using a scrub board, a scrub brush or an old toothbrush. It usually takes me about 2-3 minutes per diaper. (2x26=52minutes)

Step #4.
Rinse and spin the liners. Add the diapers and do HOT washes until there are no bubbles left in the water. It can take anywhere from 5-10 HOT washes to get to this stage. This is the most time consuming part of stripping your diapers.

Step #5.
Hang to dry or dry on lowest setting in your dryer.

So there you have it folks. Pretty simple but a little time consuming. For me- it's worth it...
If you want MORE information on stripping your diapers, you can click HERE or HERE or comment and I will do my best to answer your question or send you in the direction of someone who can!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

101 in 1001.

2009-12-17T19:59:00.003-07:00

Starting Day: December 17th 2009
Ending Day: September 13th 2012

My 101 in 1001.

1. Go to Germany with my family.
2. Do a triathlon.
3. Run a 10k in an hour.
4. Get my hair professionally highlighted.
5. Re-read the Harry Potter Series.
6. Watch all the Harry Potter Movies.
7. Donate Blood 5 times. (0/5)
8. Donate Plasma 5 times. (0/5)
9. Eat vegetarian for a week.
10. Learn to play the guitar.
11. Sing solo at Karaoke.
12. Move cities.
13. Make a mix tape/CD for a good friend.
14. Go to a Hockey game with my husband.
15. Take Charlotte to the Calgary Zoo.
16. Graduate from University.
17. Build a snowman.
18. Lose the last 10 pounds.
19. Take Charlotte for a walk every day for a month.
20. Have a candlelight dinner.
21. Watch 5 classic horror films (0/5)
22. Get another tattoo.
23. Buy and colour an entire colouring book.
24. Travel to the USA.
25. Get a passport.
26. Make 5 new friends. (0/5)
27. Watch 100 movies (0/100)
28. Finish the blanket I started knitting Charlotte.
29. Drink 2L of water a day for a month.
30. Climb a mountain.
31. Send a message in a bottle.
32. Not use my computer for a whole week.
33. Hug a stranger.
34. Have a sleepover with my girlfriends.
35. Learn how to do long division.
36. Fast for 24 hours.
38. Go out dancing.
39. Watch 6 movies in 24 hours.
40. Buy something off eBay.
41. Climb a tree.
42. Complete a 365 photo project.
43. Do a crossword puzzle.
44. Learn to cross stitch.
45. Donate $1 too charity for every goal not completed.
46. Update Charlotte’s baby book.
47. Blog every day for a month.
48. Learn a new language. (German)
49. Do a Random Act of Kindness.
50. Do a newborn baby photo shoot.
51. Plant a seed and watch it grow.
52. Whiten my teeth.
53. Recycle more.
54. Join a for-fun soccer league.
55. Go to a berry picking farm.
56. Get a goldfish.
57. Make Thai food for dinner.
58. Adopt a rescue dog.
59. Take a photography class.
60. Take snowboard lessons.
61. Host a dinner party.
62. Go skinny dipping.
63. Go to 3 concerts. (0/3)
64. Submit a secret to PostSecret.
65. Get a Blackberry.
66. Learn to ride a motorcycle.
67. Donate old clothes to people in need.
68. Change a tire on a car.
69. Spend a day at the beach.
70. Go to Toronto.
71. Go Paintballing.
72. Attend a cooking class.
73. Sew myself something.
74. Make my bed everyday for a week.
75. Write a letter to someone I admire.
76. Volunteer at a Nursing Home.
77. Teach Charlotte how to count to 10.
78. Send birthday cards to my friends on their birthdays.
79. Watch all the Star Wars Movies.
80. Watch all the Lord of the Ring movies without falling asleep.
81. Do the 30 Hour Famine.
82. Have shoulder surgery.
83. Get my CPR certificate.
84. Take a cake decorating course.
84. Plant a tree.
85. Fly somewhere.
86. Attend the Calgary Stampede.
87. Sky Dive.
88. Ride a mechanical bull.
89. Learn to make paper.
90. Declutter my house.
91. Make a 4 layer chocolate cake.
92. Write a play.
93. Send 12 people I’ve always wanted to talk to 5 questions and see what their answers are.
94. Bake a pie from scratch.
95. Call my Grandma every week for a month. (0/4)
96. Play a game of Scrabble.
97. Buy flowers for someone I love.
98. Take part in BookCrossing.
99. Learn to make Crème Brule.
100. Tell someone I love them for 1001 days.
101. Start a new 101 in 1001 list.

For more information on this click HERE.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Giveaway!

2009-12-16T20:08:00.003-07:00

I like to support my friends.

I especially like to support my friends when free stuff is involved...

You should support them too! You might win an awesome homemade gift for a sweet little someone in your life...

Click HERE and enter yourself in this great giveaway!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

You Don't Win Friends with Salad- Unless You're Me.

2009-12-16T14:26:00.004-07:00

Everybody loves Caesar Salad...heck- I ate it every day, 2 times a day for the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy...it's tasty tasty stuff. What I don't love about it?- is having to buy the creamy full fat salad dressing...that isn't so fun on the waistline or on the pocket book (seriously, the good dressing can cost around $5...ouch). Considering how often we eat Caesar Salad, I decided I needed to find a recipe to make my own- with less fat and more flavour. This one was actually given to me by my Aunt and it was an instant favourite in our family. We ALWAYS have a jar of it in the fridge...and I can whip it up in no time. I just keep the base and add the oil as we need it- it keeps longer that way. It's made with things most people have on hand (no anchovies or anything) so it's pretty cheap to make.

Here is my secret recipe...but shhh- don't tell anyone.

Caesar Salad Dressing
3 cloves of garlic- minced
1 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard (or regular/Dijon if you don't have the dry stuff)
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt
2 egg yolks *

3/4 cup oil
Parmesan cheese

Combine first 7 ingredients in small jar (I often double or triple this recipe so I have it on hand all the time). Shake well. Store in fridge. When ready to use add 3/4 C oil and whisk until emulsified. Add cheese and toss with Romaine Lettuce, Red Onions and Croutons. If you are just making small amounts (say 2-3 tbsps of the base) then just use a little oil until it gets to the consistency that you want.

*This recipe does call for egg yolks and you must use them! I haven't found a good alternative...yet! Don't worry- I didn't eat this kind of dressing when I was preggers...and I don't recommend any preggers eating it...just sayin'

Give this dressing a try- I guarentee that you will love it, and you'll probably make some new friends if you say...take it...to a potluck or something.

I'm going to go get me a caesar salad- talk later peeps!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

What You Want...

2009-12-15T20:50:00.005-07:00

Ok- so I'm finally getting around to the Poll results.

Apparently everyone wants to see more recipes, more money saving tips, and creative crafty things! Your wish is my command! I got those covered- no problems. A few of you are interested in photography and parenting stuff- and surprisingly most of you are not interested in reviews and features...which is fine by me! I'll try to give you a taste of everything...but I can't make any guarantees... :) Tomorrow- you shall receive a recipe and a tip... :)

I also wanted to mention that I have 4 guest bloggers lined up and I am **WAY** excited about January!

But, I must leave. I am currently watching Paranormal State on A&E and they are performing an Exorcism...which is FREAKY sh!t...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Check me our HERE.
Check out the NEW poll below.

'Till Debt Do Us Part

2009-12-14T11:19:00.002-07:00

A year ago at this time, every time this show came on, I would quickly flip the channel. I would get all panicky and anxious, my heart would start to pound and my breathing would quicken. I'm not sure as to WHY this would happen- but it was probably a combination of the fact that,
1. we had very little money and I knew we weren't spending most of it in a smart way... and
2. it was easier to just not think about it.
To be honest, I still rarely watch the show, just because it reminds me of 'that time' but on the rare occasion I do...it's not to bad. It actually makes me feel better (ok, I'm a horrible person) but it's a nice reminder that even when I think it is bad, it really isn't. We aren't swimming in thousands of dollars of credit card debt (the BAD kind) and neither of us has a serious spending problem. Our cards (credit and debit) stay on our wall and we live off Lawrence's tips and my cleaning money. We have more money coming in then we do going out, which makes me feel confident. The only debt we do have, is student loans- which I am ok with. (On a side: we just got a letter saying that we were being exempted from $6000 on Lawrence's AB student loans...that is super awesome. Yey us!)

So anyways. I've lectured (haha) about the importance of a budget, and one thing I really admire about Gail (from 'Till Debt Do Us Part) is that she hardcore about budgets.

Seriously, this is awesome!

It's like an interactive budget that does most of the math/work for you. You just type in the numbers and print it off- WABAM! I also HIGHLY recommend her jar system. That is what we do- and since we started, we've found that it cuts down on unnecessary spending a lot.
Cash = Better then Plastic.
It is also easier to follow. When you use your plastic, you cannot see how much money you are spending/wasting. When you have a limited amount of cash in a jar that you can see...you know exactly how much you are spending and you know exactly where you are spending it.

Well, it's time for me to go lay down and nurse this killer hangover...few things in life are better then ice cold homemade (by an Italian no less) Lemoncello...which I'm totally going to make btw...stay tuned for that...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

I don't care if you call me immature, at least I'm having more fun then you!

2009-12-12T20:56:00.003-07:00

LISTEN & ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Listening to this makes me extremely happy- I mean honestly, how can you not just love this song? I think it compliments this post nicely...

Erin + Food = We Belong....

So right now, I should really be studying- but I am taking a break...so here are the promised goods.

Menu Plan:
Friday: Chili Cheese Fries
Saturday: Pasta & Sauce
Sunday: Burgers, Spinach Salad
Monday: Sweet & Sour Pork with rice and steamed cauliflower
Tuesday: Grandpa's Meatballs and Potatoes
Wednesday: Homemade Tomato Soup w/ Grilled Cheese
Thursday: Veggie Pizza

And want to know what totally kicks butt about this meal plan?? I had pretty much everything. All I bought was milk (homo & skim) and a pack of peppers and some yogurt. Sweet! Less then $10....

Want to know what I spent the remainder of my grocery money on??
Christmas Baking stuff...
Golden Grahams
White Chocolate chips
Naniamo Bar Mix
Cheerios, Shreddies and Pretzels (for a sweet twist on Nuts&Bolts)...
and a few other things that I cannot currently.

We are eating pretty boring this week, mostly because Lawrence is working almost every night, so it's just going to be Miss C and I...and I have 2 finals this week...so I don't want to be stressing about dinner...it's quick and easy stuff this week. :)

Ok- I'm going to get back to studying and stuff...while I rock out to this awesome 80's jam! :)

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Retail Therapy

2009-12-11T13:54:00.003-07:00

Sitting at work this afternoon, I was witness to a very interesting conversation regarding retail therapy. It was so interesting in fact, that I thought it blog worthy, so here I am...

Even though I'm a self proclaimed Frugal Person, I can honestly say that I have indulged myself in Retail Therapy- which may be a contraction to everything I have ever posted- but oh well!

Our conversation was enlightening and intriguing, and hey- it's always good to know that you aren't the only one who goes out and buys a whole new wardrobe or numerous tubes of lipstick or bags upon bags of gently used baby clothes....

Despite our obvious differences in our preferred type of shopping- we all did have a similarity.

Our trigger??

Having no money!

It's strange. It's like a female gene clicks to 'ON' when the numbers in the bank account fall below the comfortable line, and impulsively we hit the mall...or London Drugs....

Shopping away the stress...but it makes absolutely no sense!

Why would you purposely go out and spend when you have very little, if any to be spending on frivolous things...?!

Well isn't it obvious.....??

You need to look good/your side-kick needs to look good....

Why does it make you feel better?

*I'm going to go all science on your @$$ so just wait for it...*

Women shop when they are feeling stressed. Shopping makes us feel good. We feel good because our brain releases endorphins. Endorphins make us feel happy. Happy people don't feel stressed.

So there you have it. Retail shopping is good for us when we are stressed. End of story.

Not-So-Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Feels like poopie!

2009-12-10T20:20:00.002-07:00

13 page paper.
10 hours.
4000 words.

Undergrad Degree...?

FINISHED!

Tomorrow is the last day of classes. I cannot believe I survived. There were times (like last night at 3am) when I was pretty sure I was just going to die...but alas, I am here and clearly breathing and being all alive, so we're good.

My brain is pretty much not functioning right nor do I think that it will be up and running anytime soon- so I'm going to leave you with a promise of a Menu Plan on Saturday.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Guest Blogger

2009-12-08T21:13:00.002-07:00

I want one or two...or maybe a few more. I can kind of see me building up a small army...of bloggers.... . . . . . .

Think you have what it takes to be a Guest Blogger on Frugally Yours??

Are you Frugal? Do you have an awesome story or some fun tips to share? Do you want to try your hand at blogging before you set up your own blog? Then this is for you!

There are only a few requirments, so it's ideal for pretty much...everyone! Male or Female- I have no preference.

#1. You must commit for a 1 month guest spot.
#2. You will be required to write 2 blog posts in that month's time.
#3. They must be submitted to moi a week in advance of their schdeduled posting date.
#4. All posts must include frugal living ideas/tips/advice etc...in other words, the posts have to stick with the theme of the blog.

Guest posts will be posted on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month- starting in January.
**they may or may not continue after that, I want to see how it goes before I decide 100% on it**

If you are interested in being a Guest Blogger on Frugally Yours- send me a message on FB, email me, call me, IM me, or comment below telling me why you think I should choose you!! Easy-peasy...

FY,
Erin B.

Go Ahead And Jump!

2009-12-07T22:21:00.010-07:00

I've had this song in my head all afternoon.

If the title doesn't make something click in your head, then click HERE and it shall do it for you.

What does that song have to do with what I planned on blogging about today??

Absolutely nothing.

And the picture below?...again, doesn't apply at all. I was outside (in -44 degree weather) taking my daily photo for my 365 project and was singing this song- so I....

J U M P E D . . .

And tried to get it on camera. Here is my failed attempt...

*deleted pic...oopsey!

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

So...moving on....
Today we had lasagna for dinner- one of mine and the husbands favourite meals. I would also like to mention that my B friend and her husband W also enjoy my homemade lasagna. I like to share so here's my "I-made-it-up-and-it-turned-out-real-good" recipe.

1-1.5lbs of lean ground beef
1 softball sized onion, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 jars of canned tomatoes- pureed
2 tsp dry oregano & basil
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles- uncooked *this is key*
1 medium tub of 1% cottage cheese
Parmesan cheese
Italian Cheese Blend

1. Pan fry ground beef until no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and saute until transparent.
2. Add in 1 jar of pureed tomatoes, herbs and pepper.
3. Bring to boil (?) and let bubble until it reduces by half. (meaning most of the juice is gone)
4. Add about 1/4 cup of tomato pureed on bottom of 9x13" pan.
5. Lay down 3 uncooked lasagna noodles.
6. Spoon on 1/3 beef mixture, 1/2 cottage cheese, and a TON of parm.
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6.
8. Lay down remaining 3 noodles and cover with remaining beef mixture. I always add on some extra tomato puree here to make sure that the top layer is covered.
9. Sprinkle with Parm and the cheese blend.
10. Place in preheated 350 degree oven and cook for 40 minutes.
11. Put oven on broil for 2 minutes to brown the cheese.
12. Let cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy.

It makes a huge pan, so there is always enough for tomorrow's lunch (for hubby, C and me) and then enough to freeze for a Freebie meal next week...or whenever...

It really is too good to be true...
*tonight I added in some chopped spinach, it was really yummy*

*deleted this one too!*

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

PS: I do realize that I didn't post my meal plan/grocery list etc...this week...again. Get off my back. It's the last week of classes (yey! I made it) and I have a lot on my plate. It will return next week...I promise...

Snowed In.

2009-12-06T20:36:00.003-07:00

Literally.

And I wish I wasn't such a stupidhead who forgot to take pictures.

The husband, literally had to dig us out of our house this morning because the drifts were THAT. AWESOME.

Oh well. You'll have to trust me when I say it was epic...

On a similar and equally snowy note, let me share with you a story.

There once was this family of 3, the Mother, the Father and the Infant. They lived in a small house, in a small town and even though they were there for good reasons (school) they were excited to move to a bigger and better city. The Christmas Season is upon this family of 3. They have been invited to many Christmas parties, and between school, work and other event, have rearranged their lives for the weekend so that they could attend said parties. (Literally- weekends from now until Christmas are pretty much spoken for because the family is popular...)
It snows.
Now, I don't mean it snows on an off for a day. I'm talking serious white out conditions, with blowing snow that goes on for days....and by days I mean hours....you get my drift....lol.
So- this family, knowing that they need to bring goodies to these parties, venture out into the INSANE weather to buy groceries. The Mother in this story is a frugal type- who shops smart and sticks to her budget. She has been carefully skimping and saving and has been able to scrounge up TWENTY extra dollars so that she can buy the extra food she will need to bring to these parties. This family spends what was budgeted, buys the extra food to feed the 20+ extra mouths over the weekend, and then literally almost die while trying to return home. Seriously...white out conditions, zero visibility and trying to drive on unplouged roads = almost death for a Mother and her infant.
Long story short...when the family returns home with ALL their groceries after almost dying to get them, the light on their answering machine is blinking. The Mother listens to the message and is informed that 2/3 of their parties have been cancelled. Fine. The Mother can make the salad she was planning on taking to party #2 and take it to party #1 and the dips for party #3 would likely be enjoyed by the Father. All is fine. She gets a call. Party #1 is cancelled.
#$%#%$&^%@$%#$%^#$!!!!
The Mother is not impressed. Granted, she understands that the weather is crappy (she was out in it) and she understands that the roads are poopie (she was driving them) and she wouldn't want anyone to get hurt...but seriously?! A phone call could not have been made the night before...or even earlier that morning BEFORE the Mother left the house? Especially considering she received an email saying it was still on moments before leaving? *sigh* Alas, all the parties were cancelled, and the Mother and Father locked themselves inside, made pizza and watch movies...

And in case you haven't figured it out yet...I am the Mother.

Merry Christmas!

Erin B.

**please note that this post was not meant to insult anyone or hurt anyone's feelings**

Honesty

2009-12-04T14:53:00.003-07:00

I have a few confessions to make.
I feel it is absolutely necessary to share them here.

1. I know some of you think I am this perfect, superwoman person. I am not. I have many faults and I cannot (despite what I will tell you) do everything for everyone all the time. However, you can continue thinking that I am a perfect superwoman, because that...makes me feel good.

2. My house is a mess 99.9% of the time. I usually only clean when I know someone is coming over. I am neurotic and obsessive when it comes to cleaning...but I don't do it very often, which may explain WHY I am neurotic and obessive when I actually do it. I would not recommend just 'stopping by' as you will not be invited in.

3. I hate washing dishes. Like absolutely, 100%, all the time, with all my being, hate doing dishes. I hate doing dishes so much that I took a strike from doing them and we literally have no dishes, no cups, no utensils...that are clean and able to be eaten/drunken out of. I guess that is what I get for moving into a place with no dishwasher (mistake #1). And I also guess this is what I get for going on strike and not doing dishes since Monday. This is true.

4. I don't fold laundry. I mean, I will, but I don't like doing it. It usually goes in a basket and stays there all week until the following laundry day when I need the baskets for more clean laundry. The old clean laundry gets dumped on the unmade bed and the new clean laundry gets put in the basket. This cycle continues, week after week and I honestly see no problem with it.

5. I read. A lot. I have probably read more novels then the average English Major this year and I stay up late almost every night, despite how tired I am, and read and few chapters. I read *on average* 1-2 books a week. Ask my husband...it's the truth. I borrow books- I don't buy them...

6. I love Facebook. It's an addiction really.

7. I hate fungus. And since fungus is a code word for someone really awful- I encourage you all to join me and hate fungus as well. Fungus might even be on your friend on Facebook...a friend you should remove.

Seven. An odd number. Great.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Nothing is better then F-R-E-E!!

2009-12-03T21:37:00.003-07:00

Seriously.

All good things in life are free....

Love.

Laughter.

Smiles.

Hugs.

Kisses from an adorable 16 month old.

Pancakes....

That is all!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-01T13:20:00.004-07:00

My biggest beef with Christmas is the gifts. Don't get me wrong, I'm as selfish as the next person- I love getting presents but I think a lot of the time the gifts are given for the wrong reason or because the giver feels obligated to give a gift. I dislike getting those gifts. I enjoy unwrapping my gifts on Christmas morning and frolicking around in the ribbons and ripped paper while eating a Terry's Chocolate Orange and listening to Boney M. Christmas- that is true...but I don't like faking a smile and telling someone I like the gift when I honestly do not.

When I told my husband that I was going to be writing this post today he got defensive (yey! Christmas has someone on their side). He said that it doesn't matter what the gift is and that the point is the action of giving not about what is given. I agree, and I also disagree. I agree because yes, Christmas is about giving and sharing and coming together and being happy and joyous and all that jazz. But I disagree because if someone is going to go out and spend money on me, I would rather it be for something useful that I would actually use and enjoy rather then something they think looks nice, something that will be put away in a box labelled "small trinkets" and put in a closet never to be seen or heard of again....

Part of living frugally is to only buy things that are necessary. Things like groceries, rent/mortgage, bills, gas/insurance etc. Another part of living frugally is to buy things that you want, but in moderation...so it is ok to buy DVDs and cakes, but not on a weekly basis and not when you can't afford to cover your necessities...kwim? It's all about finding this healthy balance where you can get the things you need and a few things you want...and still have money left over. BUDGETING is also key in living frugally- I believe I have mentioned this before....it's KEY people!

Christmas comes and all that hits the fan. People tell me they live frugally all the time. I ask them what they do at Christmas, and they tell me that they are buying for 10 people. When I ask WHAT they are buying these people they spew off a list of random items that I know I would not use and that I can say *safely* that half the people on their list would/will not use either. I ask what they are going to spend on these people and numbers scare me. To be frugal at Christmas is to give gifts that you know the people will use and enjoy and not break your bank while trying to do so. The only obvious choice for gifts is consumables! Everybody loves consumables and you can either 1. make said consumables or 2. buy them without breaking the bank. Stop giving gifts that will be put on a shelf and forgotten and start giving gifts that people will use and enjoy, gifts that will make them think of you when they look at the 20lb cheese wheel you got them...in the middle of May...5 months after Christmas. You can never go wrong with consumables.

Ok- and now before you rip my head off I would like to say that spoiling your favourite people is great! Giving your kids special gifts is ok- kids LOVE presents and giving them a bottle of Port or a Box of Chocolate's isn't the best idea (because they will not appreciate it and neither will the parents) but give them useful gifts. Books, learning games and crayons are all great options to the loud, battery operated plastic toys that are frequently given. And for spouses...how about combining a gift that you can both use, and just doing stockings for each other. My sister-in-law and her husband are doing that this year and my husband and I are as well. They are going away for a weekend in Banff and we are buying a new TV. Big items, that are useful and things that we can enjoy. I would also like to mention that I know a TV is not a consumable...but it will be enjoyed on a daily basis for years to come...

Want some ideas on creative, cheap and consumable (some not consumable) gifts?? I thought so...
-homemade jellies and jams
-Cookies or Soup in a jar (if you are interested in this, let me know and I will do a recipe post)
-a basket of Christmas baking
-a box of homemade chocolates
-flavoured Olive Oil and Salts
-homemade (knit) wash cloths
-scented Epsom salts and homemade soap
-a container of Caramel Corn and a GC for a DVD
-homemade breads (banana, lemon, whole wheat)
-coupons for good deeds (ie: doing dishes, cleaning the house, doing a load of laundry)
-a dinner baskets (with all the items the receiver will need to make one meal- minus the meat and fresh produce...)
-a homemade recipe book with all your favourites

Ok- those are just a few that I could think of off the top of my head. Feel free to comment below if you have more ideas that you would like to share. :) If they are good, I might even post them on my blog.

What I didn't want to do in this post was say that Christmas and gift giving is bad or wrong. I wanted to share ways to make it better (for both parties) and more useful. I wanted to give you ways to stretch the money that you do that so that you can give to more people. See- I was just teaching you how to give more...with less...smart eh!

Now, for the poll results- out of 21 voters... *I forgot to vote...LOL*
I am happy to announce that no one is selfish...
10 people (47%) will be buying for 5-10 people
8 people (38%) will be buying for 10-15 people
2 people (9%) will be buying for 15-20 people
*and*
1 person (4%) will be buying for 20 or more people

If you are interested in my vote, we fall into the 5-10 category. Our budget for Christmas this year, for everyone but ourselves is $150 (we can't get a TV for $150). That means we are spending an estimated $15 per person. Can she do it? Yes she can! Some people will get a little more and others a little less...but that is how it goes. Almost all of the gifts are handmade by me or someone else, and all of them are useful. I'm not going to say what people are getting because, hello, this is a public blog and I live for the element of surprise that is Christmas morning...so you'll just have to trust me when I say it.

Happy December!
Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

PS: Check out the new poll!!

House Keeping? House Keeping?

2009-11-30T20:10:00.005-07:00

Anyone watch Family Guy?

Remember that episode when Peter starts being a maid at a hotel...

"House keeping? House keeping? I come in anyway?"

No? Click here and enjoy!

*pause*

Funny right? Freaking hilarious.

Ok- so there is some housekeeping business that I feel I need to address, and there is no time like the present!

POLL:
Ok, I realize that it has been closed for over a week and I haven't talking about the results or posted a new one. Tomorrow I will. Tomorrow is going to be a HUGE Christmas post. I think you'll enjoy it. In fact, you might even love it and your appreciation for my frugal-ness might skyrocket. I felt it was only fair to give you some advanced warning so that you'd be prepared for the awesomeness that will be the post tomorrow.

MEAL PLAN:
I apologised for it once already, and feel it necessary to apologise again. To make it up to you, I will list our meals for the week....but that is all. I'm to lazy and we have a meeting soon so- this will have to do.
Saturday- Beef on a Bun
Sunday- Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, buns and cucumber salad
Monday- Hot beef and Pasta on Cesar Salad
Tuesday- BLTs
Wednesday- we are in Calgary
Thursday- Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce & salad
Friday- * i don't remember* Probably homemade tomato and rice soup or something easy.

PICTURES:
I also realize that I have been lacking in the photo area. I feel bad about this. I'm currently doing a 365 project (see HERE for more on that) and since I am pretty much only taking picture of myself for that- I don't really want to fill my posts with pictures of me. Even though I am vain like that. :) But just because people have been hassling me about discounted meat- I shall prove to you that it does exist and that you can get 2kg of ground beef for $3.88.

Now take THAT to the bank!

BLOG TO INSPIRE:
If you haven't already, read this post and if you like that, then you can check out my friends blog post here. Support us and our granola ways! :) We will find out on December 3rd if we've made the final cut and then you can start voting!

BUDGET:
I had a request to post my family's monthly budget. I will do a variation of the one that we've been using lately. I don't really want to post our actual income (because that is none of your business...LOL) but I will post where our money is going...cool?

HELPFUL LINKS:
I've been receiving numerous emails and messages regarding helpful links to coupons, and discounted items and I assure you that I will get a section up that has all those helpful and awesome sites that you can get stuff from. If you like free stuff, then click here! My good friend lists all the websites who are doing giveaways and such- you can win some cool stuff for free!!

Ok- it is 8:30pm and I have a mountain of laundry that needs to be folded and a meeting that is set to begin in a few moments. Take care and remember to check back tomorrow for my Christmas rant....um, post!

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Super Saturday

2009-11-28T15:31:00.009-07:00

I'm not going to post my meal plan this week because I'm feeling exceptionally lazy and my baby girl is fighting a cold and we need to cuddle...so....a few recipes and pictures will have to do.
The first recipe I would like to share with you all is for homemade granola bars. I've had and tried numerous recipes and this is by far the best one I've tried. I made a pan of these last night, took me no time at all, and this morning I cut them up, wrapped them individually in saran wrap and I have 20 granola bars...85% organic and 100% delicious. I spent $6 on all the ingredients. A shout out to Kim who gave me the recipe.

The BEST Homemade Granola Bars
2 cups granola *I used an unsweetened organic variety*
2 cups oats
1 cup sunflower seeds *I only had 1/2 cup so I substituted 1/2 cup pumpkin- both organic*
1/2 cup chopped peanuts *I used a dry roasted version*
1 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter *I used an all natural organic smooth version*
2 eggs- beaten
4 tablespoons butter.

-Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
-In a pot, mix: honey and peanut butter. Add beaten eggs slowly, stirring quickly to avoid scrambling. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and add butter. Let cool for 20-30 minutes.
-Add wet to dry and stir to combine.
-Press into well greased 9"x13" pan and refridgerate for 2 hours (or overnight)
-Cut into individual bars and store in fridge. *I cut mine and wrapped them individually as they were pretty soft and I wanted something I could easily throw into lunches.*

*the cutest little person ever*

Basic Honey Whole Wheat Bread (I do the dough in my bread machine and then take it out and bake it in a pan because we prefer that shape in our bread). It's cheaper to make your own bread. This loaf cost me about $0.50...

Medium- 1 1/2 pounds

1 cup + 1 tablespoon water, 80-90 degrees F.
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 cup bread flour (I've only ever used all-purpose and my loaves turn out fine)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast- dry, instant, or bread machine

Put all ingredients in bread pan in this order. Set machine to Whole Wheat Cycle, Loaf Size (med) and hit start.
After the rise cycle, before it bakes, remove the bread dough from the machine and place in a well greased (I butter & flour my pan) pan and let rise in warm area for another 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

*yummy bread*

Variations:
-Cheesy Onion Swirl Bread.
Once you remove it from the bread machine, roll it out the dough and sprinkle with old cheddar cheese and onion flakes. Roll up and place in pan. Allow to rise and then bake off. Delicious. *I made this up the other day and it was a huge hit in our house*

-Cinnamon & Raisin Swirl.

Once you remove from the bread machine, roll out the dough and sprinkle with a cinnamon and sugar mixture (1/4 cup sugar, 1tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup raisins). Roll up and place in pan. Allow to rise and then bake off. Delicious. I prefer using this recipe for my cinnamon swirl bread because I refuse to eat white bread, nor will I serve it to my child. It works out great and is much tastier and heartier then it's white counterpart.

Ok, that is all for today. Check back on Monday for a very interesting post...you won't be disappointed.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Random Facts?!

2009-11-26T22:00:00.004-07:00

After my class tonight, I feel like I am full of useless (but oddly interesting) facts that I feel obligated to share with you.

>The most children one woman has ever given birth to is 69. She had some sort of genetic issue and gave birth to 23 sets of triplets. Can you imagine? At least you would have 3 sets of everything to reuse...

>The most children one man has ever fathered is 888. He kept all his "women" in one place (like a compound) that no other men entered. I think this is gross. Imagine how it would feel to be the 888th kid...that would suck.

>There are enough sperm in 1 teaspoon of semen to impregnate every women in the U.S.A. One word: EWWWWWW!

Frugal Tip of the day??
Don't have 23 sets of triplets, after one set- STOP.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Don't shoot the messenger.

2009-11-25T21:44:00.004-07:00

I think being a man would be cheaper.

Don't get me wrong, I love myself and I love being a woman and all the wonderfulness that comes along with boobies and the ability to make baby's from scratch...which I can do pretty darn well.

But sometimes, I truly believe that being a man, would save me a bunch of money.

My rationale:

1. Their clothes are cheaper and they need fewer accessories. No handbags, clutches, boots, matching earrings and bracelets and all the other crap that women (myself included) insist on wearing on a regular basis. Not only do we need all these accessories, but we need them in a few different colours...

2. Our haircuts cost a fortune compared to men haircuts. I can spend upwards of $70 to have my hair cut by someone I truly trust with my precious curls. My husband? I cut his hair for free. On that same note, women often use more products in their hair...

3. Women = makeup = EXPENSIVE. Holy geez! I like looking pretty but I just can't keep up with the cost of makeup. I'm sorry, but I can't afford to spend $20 on eyeliner, or $50 on mascara. Call me cheap, but I prefer the stuff I can get at Shoppers for under $5. Men = no makeup = cheaper.

4. Women eat less, but because we are smaller we need high quality food which = more expensive. Because men are bigger they can eat lower quality food (because they have bigger stomachs) which means they can spend the same amount as us but get much more. Don't believe me, come join me in my Psyc2700 class on Thursday nights from 6-8:50 and I'm sure my prof would love to tell you all about it.

5. Men don't have to dish out money for FEMALE products every month. That = cheaper.

6. Generally speaking, their alcoholic beverage of choice (beer) is cheaper then the mixed drinks (martini's) that women like to drink. I'm talking $2-3 dollars difference here...with 2-4 drinks, that's a significant amount of $$.

Well that's all folks. My creative juices have run dry. After writing a 9 page research paper in 10 hours, I'm pretty much tired of typing and my brain is pretty much mush.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Your Turn

2009-11-24T12:52:00.004-07:00

I'm writing this post because my boss made a request and who am I to say NO to the lady with the power? Umm, not risking my job- especially in this economy- so here we go...

Last year when Lawrence was in school and I was at home with Charlotte- things were tight. We were living off student loans, the small wage + tips that Lawrence was bring in, and the little bits of cash that I would get for random jobs (ie: helping out at the B.O. *my work*, helping friends reorganize etc...) it wasn't much, but we were surviving and everything seemed to be fine.

Then Christmas happened. Now between the gifts we bought, the money we spent on gas driving home and back, and the week Lawrence had off work- come January, we literally had no money. It freaked me out. Here I was, a SAHM with a student/part time working husband and a tiny baby that needed me for everything...and no money to pay my rent, buy food...no money for anything. I cried, it sucked and I wanted to go back to September and start working more and saving better and spending less and being smarter...retrospect...kwim?! We needed money and fast. I refused to use our credit cards for things, because they are evil and should die. I didn't want to spend money that we didn't have because then you just end up digging yourself into this huge hole that takes you FOREVER to get out of. Clearly, since I was the one at home, I needed to find a way to make money. No one was really hiring at the time- trust me I looked everywhere- and with the specific hours I needed it was literally impossible to find a job that would cater to me.

So what did I do?

I sold stuff on Kijiji. I went through our house and sold everything that we weren't using, things we didn't need, things that were taking up space. I had people coming to my house almost every day, picking up things that they purchased from me. I was able to pay our rent. I was able to buy groceries, I was able to provide for my family for one month. Then we were out of things to sell and rent was still going to be due and we still needed to eat, so I needed to find more work.

So what did I do?

I thought of things that I was good at, and things that people had hired and paid me for in the past. Cleaning. I'm a good cleaner, a bit neurotic at times, but can you really blame me? So I posted on Kijiji again, offering my cleaning services. Within an hour of posting my ad, I had 5 potential clients and by the end of the second day, I had to remove the ad because I had over 20 people looking for someone to help them clean. So I started cleaning. My dear friends (who I would have been lost without) took Charlotte and I would clean 2 times a week. I made $20/hour. We were doing alright. We could afford another months rent and we continued to eat. But we needed something more...

So what did I do?

I called the Lethbridge Herald and got us a paper route. Is it desirable? No. Did we (Lawrence and I took turns) like it? No. We were making $600 extra a month? Yes. Could we continue to live? Yes. So we did it. From April - July we did papers every morning. I was able to do it because Charlotte would still be sleeping and Lawrence could do it because he didn't have class until 11am. We did it, and it wasn't really all that bad. I wouldn't go back to doing it...but it got us through some hard times. We were able to save a lot of what we made doing papers, as it was supplementing what we were already making.

I also got a childcare job. I started looking after a family out of town 2 days a week. That really helped and since I was able to bring Charlotte along, it worked out perfectly. I worked for this family from February - August, and was able to support my family and still be a SAHM. Almost all the money I made doing this went into savings.

Where are we now?

We are ALL good. I work, Lawrence works, and I still clean every other weekend. We made it through the hard times together, and we are stronger for it. If I thought I was frugal before that, I knew nothing. I am frugal now, because at one point, I had no other choice. We have enough money in savings now so that if this ever happens again, we are covered completely (all bills, rent, groceries etc...) for 3 months. This makes me feel confident. We didn't rack up thousands of dollars in credit card debt- because we knew there were other ways...and I rarely take the easy way out.

So I open this up to you. How do you make extra money on the side? What are ways that you create extra revenue for your family? If you don't, do you plan for this? What would you do if you suddenly needed money fast? I would really like to hear what you have to say...so please comment on this post.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

RANdOM TiPS

2009-11-23T20:18:00.004-07:00

Sorry about the late post. The day really got away from me...what else is new?

I got this in an email a little while ago and thought it was great. I wanted to share it with all of you as it has a lot of helpful hints...enjoy! *I'll leave my own comments in BOLD*

DID YOU KNOW?
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. This works. I tried it this week with my green banana's...awesome!

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminium foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold! Haven't tried this yet as cheese never lasts long in our house.

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. I'm going to be looking for this next time I'm buying peppers.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. This works. Give it a try.

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. Really need to try this one...even though I prefer leftover pizza cold...

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving. Tried it this weekend and it worked. I iced 2 cakes with one container of icing.

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster. Done and done- works like a charm.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, working the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers. Haven't tried this personally, but I would be interested in trying it...

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes!
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper.
The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing pantyhose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! ... static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. I always sprayed mine with Pam first, but this works even better.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth! Chalkboard erasers are $1 at the Dollar Store.

Reopening envelopes
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily. I wanted to try this, so I licked a plain envelope closed and put it in the freezer, it seriously works...magic!

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair. Done it and loved it. Who wants to spend $4 on shaving cream when you can use leftover conditioner or the stuff you don't like...?

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever! One of my friends was asking about this ages ago (during the GTA Garbage Strike)...does this work??

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed! We don't have an any problem, but if we did, I would be willing to try this.

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS (cool, I did it with ours...it totally works! Even though we rarely use dryer sheets...I can guarentee the people before us did...and it worked like a charm)
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material .. I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best
way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!

OK- that is all I've got for today. My posts this week will probably be pretty lame, so let me apologise in advance. *SORRY* I have a couple papers due and a bunch of other crap that needs to be handed in, so that is where I will be spending most of my 'free' time. I encourage you to give some of these ideas a try and then let me know if they worked for you.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

You Are What You Eat

2009-11-21T00:26:00.002-07:00

This week goes like this...

Saturday- my in-laws 30th Wedding Anniversary Party. Dinner out.

Sunday- family still down, eating at Grandma's for Sunday Dinner.

Monday- Oven BBQ Chicken with Roast Potatoes and Broccoli*

HAVE: chicken thighs, onion, brown sugar, tomato sauce, garlic, Dijon, seasonings, baby potatoes, broccoli
NEED: cider vinegar

Tuesday- Meatball Souvlaki with Fixings on a Pita*

HAVE: bread crumbs, Dijon, seasonings, garlic, dill weed, lettuce
NEED: ground beef, cucumber, sour cream, Roma tomatoes, red onion

Wednesday- Sweet and Sour Pork, Brown Rice, Salad

HAVE: pork, sweet & sour stuff, brown rice, salad & fixings.
NEED: nothing.

Thursday- Chili & Cheese Buns

HAVE: Tomatoes, Green Pepper, Jalapeno, tomato paste, corn, ingredients for cheese buns
NEED: Kidney beans

Friday- Pizza Night

HAVE: ingredients for pizza dough, tomato paste, cheese
NEED: ham, pineapple

* indicate the new recipes I am trying this week.

GROCERY LIST:
FRUIT/VEGGIES
cucumber
tomatoes
r. onion
pepper
carrots
celery

GRAINS
pitas

MEAT/ALTERNATIVE
Ground Beef x2
Eggs
Bacon
Deli Ham

DAIRY
Milk- homo & skim
Cheese
Sour Cream

MISC
cider vinegar
kidney beans
pineapple
oil

How much did I spend this week you ask?

Skim Milk- $2.29
Deposit- $0.29
Homo Milk- $1.49
Deposit- $0.11
Lean Ground Beef- $2.00 x2 (2 lbs)
Bacon- $3.00
Aged Cheese- $3.87
Sour Cream- $1.67
Pineapple- $1.00
Cider Vinegar- $1.77
Corn Oil- $2.88
Kidney Beans- $0.87
Eggs- $2.12
Pita- $2.93
Carrots- $1.47
Celery- $1.47
R.Onion- $0.59
G.Pepper- $0.57
Cucumber- $1.47
Banana- $1.31
Tomato- $0.87
Deli Ham- $2.04
TOTAL: 36.61
GRAND TOTAL + 5% GST: $38.44
Under: $1.56

As per last week, if you want a recipe please let me know and I will send you a message on FB or an email... :)

Tomorrow I will try to get on to do a quick Christmas post that was supposed to be posted today (sorry, the day got away from me) but I can't make any guarentees. If not tomorrow then Sunday, but keep checking back.

Anyhow, I'm off to get some shut eye before family photos in the morning and then...*drum roll*..............................................NEW MOON!!! That's right folks, I'm going to see it tomorrow...woot woot. I will post a review...sometime...in the near future.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Thankful

2009-11-19T13:59:00.003-07:00

My mother-in-law sent this to me in an e-mail, and I just wanted to share this with you all. It is true...

I AM THANKFUL FOR...

FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED .

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME .

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT

BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION .

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR HER.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL...
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

Happy Days...
EB.

2009-11-19T12:19:00.010-07:00

Apparently my neighbour reads my blog.

That is all I have for today folks. I'm a busy lady...but come back tomorrow for some Christmas Talk. It will be a good time.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Parking Wars

2009-11-18T20:12:00.011-07:00

My husband says that I get annoyed over little things.

I disagree.

I don't get annoyed when there are crumbs all over my floor or when bleach is spilt on my carpet (it happened)...those I would classify as "little things".

However, I do get annoyed when little things turn into BIG things, and when those BIG things start impacting my life in a negative way.

Close your eyes and picture this for a second. Me, carrying Charlotte (a 20lbs squirming toddler), with a diaper bag slung over one shoulder and my school bag (full of HEAVY textbooks) over the other, fighting the wind to get to my car. Not a pretty picture. It usually involves some curse words and a lot of screaming from the squirming toddler. (CRV = mine, crooked car = stupidhead neighbour).

Ok, there is hardly enough room for me to squeeze by to get into my car, how can I possibly get by with 2 bags and a baby?! I can't. So I put said baby down and what does she do? Runs into the parking lot. *negative impact on my life* So nowI have to run and get her, walk over to the other side of the car, manually unlock BOTH doors *stupid car* get Charlotte in all the while she is screaming and yelling and pulling my hair and scratching my face, close the doors, go over to the driver's side, pick up the bags that I dropped when I was running to save my child from THE BIG SCARY PARKING LOT....ok you can see where this story is going. I eventually am able to squeeze myself into my car all the while yelling obscenities in the direction of my neighbours house....10 minutes has passed and now I am really late and really ticked off. This has officially turned into a BIG deal.

Reasons for being ticked off?:
1. My stupidhead neighbour needs to learn how to park her stupidhead car.
2. Clearly I need to lose some weight if I can't squeeze my fat ass in between 2 cars...

Moral of the story? WALK instead of drive (good on the pocket book and environment) and lose weight so that next time (and there will be a next time) your stupidhead neighbour decides to park like a blind person you can fit nicely in between the cars.

See, this isn't a little thing...

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Check me our here as well.

Don't be Greedy, Give to the Needy...

2009-11-17T13:55:00.007-07:00

As frugal as I am, I always give to the Food Bank. There is always someone in need...someone who has less then I do...someone who needs my...our help...

Ever hear of the Golden Rule...??

Click here to get involved.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Muffins- by request

2009-11-16T14:15:00.004-07:00

I've had a few requests asking for muffin recipes and since I am the MUFFIN QUEEN (among other things, and man- that almost sounds dirty...) I decided I would give up my secret. That is right folks...I'm about to share with you my muffin secret...(whoa, that time it definitely sounded dirty).

I go onto google, type in muffins and click HERE!

Not all that exciting I know, but seriously, I've made almost ALL of these muffin recipes and have LOVED THEM ALL. I was trying to decide if I was just going to share the link, or if I was going to type *cough cut&paste cough* them all into a post and claim them to be mine, but alas, I'm an honest person, so I shared the link. Besides, I don't want to people from Joy of Baking hunting me down and suing me for all that I have (which is very little...). So- click on the above link and enjoy the numerous recipes- tested and tried by yours truly- and try them out over the following weeks for breakfasts and snacks.

That all being said, I thought I would share some of my secrets on how I make things healthier and more filling. I like healthy and I like filling food, and if I can combine that into one yummy morsel of goodness (read: muffin) then perfect.

Instead of an egg:

use only the egg white to cut the cholesterol
in cakes/muffins- substitute 1 banana for 1 egg, or 1 tbsp milled flax seed and 3tbsp water
2tbsp of corn starch = 1 egg

Instead of oil/butter:

using the same amount of pureed fruits (apple sauce) instead of oil/butter. You can also use 1/2 & 1/2 (read: half oil, half applesauce)

Instead of All Purpose White Flour:

use half whole wheat flour, and half regular white flour. NOTE: in personal experience (having tried and eaten lots of attempts) don't substitute whole wheat flour for white flour 100%. Whatever you are making will be too dense, and very dry...or in other words yucky.
If a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, use 1 cup white flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and then use whatever you would like for the last 1/2 cup. Things like bran, milled flax seed, ground nuts, coconut flour etc are all great options.

Instead of white sugar:

substitute brown sugar (1:1) in any recipe. This will add moisture and more flavour. Also- it is lighter, believe it or not. 1 cup of white sugar weighs 8oz whereas 1 cup of brown sugar equals only 6oz.
use honey/maple syrup instead of sugar, but for every cup of sugar use only 3/4 cup of honey/maple syrup. Keep in mind, that using this will add more moisture to whatever you are baking so you might need to add more flour or dry ingredients...

Instead of milk:

using soy milk, rice milk or almond milk are great substitutes to regular 1% or skim milk.
if a recipe calls for buttermilk but you don't want to dish out the $4 for 1L of it, use 1tbsp vinegar/lemon juice for every 1 cup of milk. Mix and let stand for 5 minutes = voila, buttermilk.
you can use powdered milk and some water
also yogurt can be a good substitute (again, you might want to water it down a bit, but that is based on personal preference)

Ok, there you have it folks...my secrets. I did some searching around to see what else I could find that I could link for you and Joy of Cooking has a great substitution list for you...so click here.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

I also have another blog, click here to check out the daily photo uploads...part of the 365 Project that my BFF/SIL and I are doing together. Her photos = awesome. My photos = LAME. Enjoy!

Dessert?

2009-11-15T19:56:00.003-07:00

You MUST try these. I made these on a whim and I had all that stuff in my house so it cost me NOTHING!

Candy Cane Brownies.

1/2 cup butter/margarine
1/4 cup cocoa

Melt in a microwave safe bowl. Stir.

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla (I always up that amount)

Beat together eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add chocolate and butter to first mixture and stir until blended. Add 3/4 cup flour. Mix. Add in either: A) 1 package of peppermint chocolate chips B) 1 package of white chocolate chips or C) 1 package normal chocolate chips...and 4 crushed candy canes. Mix until well combined. Pour into greased & floured 8X8 pan and baked for 28 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool for 10 minutes then removed from pan.
DELICIOUS.
That is all.

What We Eat

2009-11-15T13:15:00.003-07:00

Alright!
I apologise about the delay. As per my post yesterday, it was a busy day. Between my parents being down and a Centennial Church celebration, I just didn't have time to get on and post our meal plan, grocery list and receipt.
DISCLAIMER: I want to you all to keep in mind that I meal plan according to what we have in our house...I want to buy a few things as possible so I meal plan around what we already have- kwim? I'm just saying this because if you want to follow my meal plan and go out and buy everything for all the recipies you will likely spend more then me...

The post will go like this:

Meal Plan
What I already have/what I need to buy
Grocery List
Receipt

Week: Nov14-20th
Saturday (my parents were down, so I had to feed 5 people)- Stir fry & Brown Rice

HAVE: Brown Rice, Stir fry Sauce Ingredients, Onions, Carrots, Celery
BUY: Red Pepper, Broccoli, Zucchini

Sunday- Sloppy Joe's* w/ Fruit Salad

HAVE: Onion, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Apples
BUY: Buns, ground beef, oranges, bananas

Monday- Lawrence's Work Christmas Party, going out for dinner, pre-paid tickets

Tuesday- Pork Satay*, Brown Rice and Salad

HAVE: Pork, Brown Rice, Soy Sauce, Garlic, Ginger, Hot Sauce, Lettuce, Salad Fixings
BUY: Orange Juice Concentrate, Bamboo Skewers (got at Dollar Store for $1)

Wednesday: Waffles, Blueberry Sauce & Whipped Cream

HAVE: Waffle ingredients, frozen blueberries, sugar
BUY: Whipping Cream

Thursday- Beef Barley Soup (Crock Pot meal)

HAVE: Carrots, Celery, Onions, Beef Bouillon, Parsley,Barley
BUY: Stewing Beef, Tomato Sauce

Friday- Spaghetti, Homemade Sauce, Cesar Salad, Buns

HAVE: Cesar Salad Dressing (homemade), Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions
BUY: Spaghetti, Buns, Tomato Sauce

GROCERY LIST:
FRUITS/VEG:
Peppers
Zucchini
Lettuce (extra)
Broccoli
Mandarins
Bananas
Limes

DAIRY:
Homo Milk
Skim Milk
Whipping Cream
Cheese

GRAINS:
Spaghetti
Buns

MEAT/ALTERNATIVES:
Ground Beef
Stewing Beef
Eggs

MISC.
Tomato Sauce

RECEIPT:
Homo Milk- $1.49
Deposit- $0.11
Skim Milk- $1.35
Deposit- $0.11
Whip Cream- $3.17
Deposit- $0.11
Eggs- $2.12
Marble Cheese- $3.87
Tomato Sauce- $0.94 x 2 = $1.88
Pasta- $1.87
Dinner Rolls- $0.17 x 5 = $0.85
Mandarins $3.97
Lettuce- $1.47
Broccoli- $1.97
Peppers 3ct- $3.97
Zucchini- $0.78
Bananas- $1.10
Avocado- $0.97
Lime-$0.33 x 3 = $0.99
Discounted Meat (Stew Beef)- $3.50
Ground Beef- $2.50
TOTAL: $38.15 + 5% GST
GRAND TOTAL: 40.05
Over: $0.05 (which I had in my wallet...)

Notes:
I only meal plan for Dinners. We have leftovers from almost every meal. I usually toss one in the freezer and one is for lunch for either Lawrence, Charlotte or me the following day. For lunches we do hummus (homemade) with veggies, PB&J Sandwiches, Grilled Cheese, homemade KD, Veggie Soup etc...things that I don't need to buy things for. Lawrence also works 3 times a week and can get a bowl of soup at work for pennies...so he does that. I also freeze Charlotte sized meals (lasagna, soups etc) that I can pull out and send with her to her babysitters for lunch. As for breakfasts, we eat toast, oatmeal, muffins or smoothies. We have a lot of frozen fruit from the summer, I make muffins almost weekly and we can have those, they also work well for snacks. Again, it's meals that I don't have to buy for. I would also like to mention that because we are going out once this week (Monday for the Christmas Party) I allowed myself to spend a little bit more on the other meals for the week (ie: whipping cream = almost $4, that rarely happens). I would also like to mention that I try 2 new recipes a week. The ones that are new this week had a * next to them.

So there you have it folks. We eat healthy, we eat fresh food every night and I only spend $40 on groceries. There are times when I will go over, but generally speaking I stick to this budget. I shop at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Lethbridge, the cheapest place I've found SO FAR to buy groceries. Some weeks I will shop at Superstore because it is also pretty decent but generally speaking I shop at the Supercenter.

If you want a recipe let me know and I will either e-mail it to you, or send you a picture of it. :)

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Meal Plan et. al.

2009-11-14T18:11:00.003-07:00

It will be posted shortly.

Today has been crazy. My parents came down, Lawrence was working....so needless to say the Meal Plan, Grocery List and my Receipt has yet to be posted. As soon as I get home it will be...so check back later tonight or tomorrow to see me work my magic...
Sorry!

EB.

Poll Results

2009-11-13T13:48:00.007-07:00

So my first attempt at a poll on my blog was kind of a fail. Instead of saying "How much do YOU spend weekly on groceries" I wrote, "How much do WE spend weekly on groceries"...and of course despite all my efforts you cannot go in and change the wording of your question once someone has voted. So the question stayed...all week...being wrong and staring at me in the face. FAIL.

*zen*

I always think it is interesting to see how much other people spend on groceries. I know I'm like the Budget Queen and can pretty much make anything on a dime...but I like to think that I am not the only person out there who spend less then $100 on grocery's...for a week.

So here are the results:
8 people spend between $30-$50
10 people spend between $50-$100
9 people spend between $100-$150
2 people spend $150 or more...

I spend $40 a week (cash only) on groceries. Sometimes a little less if my meal plan includes a lot of leftover meals or if it is a short week (read: we are going to be away for the weekend). It was easier before Charlotte started eating table food as I was just shopping for Lawrence and I, but even with the added mouth (she eats like a man) I can still shop for all of us, for a week, and get everything for the low low low price of $40. I'm magical! I'll prove it too...come back tomorrow to see!

So, my biggest wonder for those who spend over $50 a week- what do you buy?? Granted, your families are probably bigger then mine...but still- what do you buy that costs so much? I'm honestly curious. I mean I know I can easily drop $100 on groceries...but I don't (read: almost never).

My new challenge? Getting all my Christmas Baking supplies in without going over budget...that will be interesting.

There is a new poll- go vote NOW! Please.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

PS. Click here to see something freaky.

What's More Important?

2009-11-12T14:00:00.013-07:00

So I walk down stairs and the smell hits me like a load of bricks.

It’s diaper day.

This is the reason why so many people refuse to cloth diaper. I don’t blame them. Scraping poop off diapers isn’t fun. In fact, it is my most dreaded chore, but I do it.

I’m saving the environment one nasty poopy diaper at a time and man; I am proud of it.

~ ~ ~ ~

I knew I wanted to cloth diaper but I didn’t know a lot about it. So I stayed up late every night for a week reading up on cloth diapering, the various styles, shapes and sizes, washing instructions, etc etc. I felt I knew all there was to know about cloth diapering. So when I came across an online company that was going out of business I impulsively bought 20 FuzziBunz Pocket Diapers (size medium). I was 6 months pregnant. I reasoned with myself that I wouldn’t be able to get such a great deal anywhere else, so the $350 that I’d just dropped on diapers was worth it. My husband wasn’t sure of my decision but I eventually converted him and he was impressed when the diapers arrived a few weeks later.

Our daughter was born. She was 6lbs6oz at birth. She was 20 inches long. She was smaller then the cloth diapers that I had bought.
I cried.
I remember trying for weeks to see if the diapers would fit…and just like the week before, even on the tightest setting they fell off the second I pulled her up. I was upset and felt certain that I had wasted $350 on things I would never be able to use.

5 months passed.

Charlotte started wearing cloth diapers exclusively at about 5½ months and at 15 months, weighing in at a whopping 19lbs, she is still in them. I love them more now then before. My collection has grown by 6 diapers (BumGenius 3.0) that were added just recently (I bought them used for $13/diaper) and I expect my collection will continue to grow when my family does. People say cloth diapering is too expensive. It’s not. Let me break it down for you.

A package of name brand diapers will run you about $20 a package. Yes, I know there are sales and no-name brands but generally speaking you’ll pay between $20-30 for a package of diapers. The average $20 package of diapers has been 54-60 diapers. At 5 diapers a day, that package will last you about 12 days. So every 12 days you spend $20 on diapers that you throw away. They will sit in our landfills and it will take them up to 500 years to decompose. In the meantime, they are little methane bombs full of pee and poop just WAITING for the chance to explode. Nasty? I think so. In a year the average parent (according to my math) would spend over $520 on disposable diapers. Now the average child is in diapers for 2-3 years so you’re looking at $1040-1560 in diapers for ONE child. That makes me sick.

I spent $350 on diapers that will last me the 2 years for my first child…and will last me 2 years for my next child…etc. Even adding in the extra cost for a few more diapers, special additive free laundry soap and the energy it costs to wash them and dry them (mine are hung to dry so that doesn’t apply to me) it is still CHEAPER for me and BETTER for my environment. The positives clearly out weigh the negatives, less diaper rash, no chemicals on her bum, easier to potty train and no poopy diapers rotting in the landfill for 500 years…all things that make it worthwhile to me. Click here to see what you are actually putting on your baby when you put them in a disposable.

Still not convinced? Maybe some pictures will help…

Interested now? Not prepared to dish out a ton of money without trying them first? Click HERE!

I want to encourage you all to think of our planet. I also want you to think about all the disposable diapers being thrown away each day. What kind of planet do you want for your children? For their children? For their children's children?

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Parenting By Nature

I Won't Forget...

2009-11-11T10:08:00.006-07:00

Will You...??

2009-11-10T21:29:00.003-07:00

I really meant to post earlier.

Clearly I didn't.

I've been reading.

That is a frequent occurrence for me. I tend to disappear for days when I get caught up in a good novel or series....so just be forewarned...
If I am MIA for a few days, it's probably a good book, and you will probably hear about it as soon as I am finished it.

I'm on a Jodi Picoult kick right now...so the last 3 books I've read have been written by her. She is a FANTASTIC writer, I'd even go so far to say, my FAVOURITE author *right now*.

I just finished reading Mercy. Awesome book. It was borrowed to me by a girl in one of my Education classes. Highly recommend it. Find it at your local library, borrow it from a friend or ask for it (or any Jodi Picoult book) for Christmas...you won't be disappointed.

Speaking of Christmas...only 15 more days until I get to decorate my house! It's become a kind of tradition to decorate on November 25th...so I am eagerly awaiting that day. I could go on and on about being Frugal at Christmas but I will save that for another post on another day.

I have no frugal tips or ideas or suggestions today...

Not So Frugally Yours...
Erin B.

Sick Sucks.

2009-11-09T19:41:00.005-07:00

So I have a sinus infection, which for the longest time I thought was H1N1.

Fever- check.

Aches & Chills- check.

Stuffy Nose- check.

H1N1- apparently not.

It's a NASTY sinus infection that has been brewing for 2 weeks. I saw a doctor today. Generally speaking, I like doctors. They help me in a time of need. Today I just needed drugs. Apparently when you go into a clinic and ask for drugs- they treat you suspiciously. It wasn't like I was asking for a morphine drip or Oxycontin...I wanted simple antibiotics that could kick the crap outta the bacteria that had set up in my face. I want to feel normal again! Needless to say, I did walk out of the office with a prescription in hand, but I have a feeling that something was written on my chart so next time I go in (FX I won't have to go back in) the first thing out of my mouth shouldn't be, "I need drugs."

So moving on. Being sick is expensive, but having Health care ROCKS. I mean I pay almost $400 into my University Health care plan at the beginning of the year but that will last me the WHOLE year. There are lots of benefits to health care. Today, my $20 prescription actually only cost me $4. Score...sort of. Oh well- at least I know I'm covered if I need new glasses (which I'm totally getting) and if I need my teeth cleaned (which I totally am) and in case I need an ambulance (which has already happened once this year- for the husband)...I like knowing someone has my back.

I honestly wouldn't mind paying for Charlotte to have health care (we did last year because of my 'new-Mommy' brain) but if I can get it for free- then I'm there. We are would you could consider a family with limited income. We qualify for Alberta Child Health Benefits. SWEET! Free eyeglasses, prescriptions, dental visits, ambulance rides and diabetic supplies. As long as our maximum income doesn't exceed $29,285 in a year, Charlotte is eligible. It also increases with every child you have. Click here for more information or call this number (1.877.469.5437) for more information regarding this TOTALLY AWESOME PROGRAM.

That is all for now. I'm going to go pick up a sewing machine that was graciously given to me by my AWESOME boss- who is AWESOME! You're jealous right?

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Frugal Rules! loooooong

2009-11-07T12:31:00.011-07:00

I saw Zombieland last night. No, I didn't go by myself and sit alone like a loser (sorry to anyone who actually goes to movies alone, that is not my thing). My brother and his girlfriend came down this weekend, so we decided to go out once they got here. We got a sitter and yes even though I hate paying people to take care of my kid (when I could be doing it FOR FREE) it is a necessity! So Zombieland. Great movie if you like that sort of thing. Hilarious. Buying snacks at the theatre? HOLY COW! For 2 medium drinks, 1 large popcorn and a bag of candy- $18.90! NO LIE! Miss S (my brothers girlfriend) and I had to combine our change so that we could afford the snacks. It was excruciatingly painful to pay that kind of money. Oh well, we were going for the experience and you cannot go to the theatre without getting popcorn (with extra butter, a 72 cent add on) and Rootbeer (with no ice). Thankfully we had free movie passes (Thanks Mom) so we didn't have to pay for the movie, which *I guess* made spending $10 on snacks a little less painful...

So, back to the point of this post. For anyone who has seen Zombieland, there are a set of rules that the main character sets out as to how to survive in Zombieland. I decided to do something similar here. I don't like rules, so for the sake of this blog, I'm going to create some guidelines...you can take them into consideration, if you feel so inclined.

#1. BUDGET. Know how much money you have coming in, know how much you have going out for necessary things (ie: rent/mortgage, insurance etc) and plan accordingly. Nothing can dig your grave faster then living beyond your means. Make a budget and stick to it. Debt is bad.

#2. MEAL PLAN. I will be posting my family's meal plans every Saturday (starting next week) so you can see ONE way of doing it. The most important thing about this is the 'plan' part. You need to know what you are making so you know what you need to buy. You also need to know what you have in your house so that you can make meals that require you to buy a few new ingredients...kwim?

#3. MAKE A LIST. When you go grocery shopping, make sure you TAKE A LIST. Then buy only what is ON THAT LIST. If you plan your meals properly and write up a list based on what you need, then you won't be wandering around wondering what to have for dinner and making silly purchases. It makes grocery shopping faster as well. Go in, get what you need, and leave- and for anyone with a small child/ren will know- the quicker you can do it, the better it is.

#4. CASH ONLY. When you go grocery shopping, only take cash. Leave your cards at home. If you only take $50 with you, you can only buy $50 worth of stuff...meaning you will stick to your budget and if you are a smart shopper (like me) then you'll get everything you need and maybe one thing you want (like bacon).

#5. DISCOUNTS/COUPONS. I only buy meat when it has been discounted. I also buy it with the skin on and the bone in. It is not hard to skin and debone ANY PIECE OF MEAT, especially when there is an added 30% sticker on it and you know you will freeze it the second you get home. Also clip coupons. Saving $1.00 on a $4.00 item kicks butt, and so do 2 for 1 coupons. You might be the annoying person with 4-5 coupons but if you are saving $4-5 bucks...who cares what the people behind you think.

#6. AT THE TILL. This may be taking it overboard but it helps the cashier and you look less stupid, trust me. When you are putting things through the till, put the items you need first (things like milk & eggs) and the things you could do without (things like bacon and Count Chocula Cereal) last so if you get to your total ($50) before you get to the last of your items, you are nto searching around the bags trying to decide what items you want the cashier to remove from you bill. Smart eh...

#7. LEFTOVERS. Make big meals, even if you are just cooking for yourself. Stick them in the freezer in single portion sizes and defrost when you need too. If you do this with your dinners for a week, and get 2 additional servings that you can freeze, then that is 2 "free" meals that you have in the freezer. After a week, you'll have 14 frozen meals that cost you nothing extra. The trick once you have those frozen leftovers is to incorporate them INTO your meal plan. I call these 'freebies'. It's one night of the week where I, 1. don't have to cook and 2. don't have to spend any money for that meal. If you defrost the meal, reheat in the oven or microwave and serve with a fresh salad, it is like a new meal.

#8. DIY (do it yourself). Make your own bread, pizza dough, buns, cookies and muffins. Make pancakes and waffles on a weekend and then freeze for later enjoyment. Make granola, and fruit leather. Can your own tomatoes, applesauce, pickles and salsa. If on average you are spending $20 a week on pre made items like cookies and buns...you can start cutting that $20 (after the initial investment of the things you need to make those items) out of your grocery bill and you can SAVE it or use it else where. An easy trick that will save you money immediately.

#9. BULK=BAD *usually*. People think Costco and other bulk places are awesome. They think they save SO much money. But that usually isn't the case because people aren't smart shoppers. On specific items like toilet paper, bottled water (which you shouldn't be buying anyways) and juice boxes it's usually a good plan. But when you are buying meat (even though it's great quality) and their fruits and veggies, it's not a good plan. Buying in bulk leads to waste, you won't eat 4lbs of grapes in a week, so they will go bad and you'll end up throwing them out. You might as well buy fewer grapes at your normal grocery store and save yourself the money. Places like Bulk Barn are deceiving as well. It's good for somethings and bad for others. You just need to use your head.

#10. BUNDLES. For things like your phone, internet and cable- bundling is the way to go. I don't care who you do it through, but most companies offer packages so you'll end up spending less per month then you would be if you go through different companies for all the items.

#11. INSURANCE SMARTS. Like with the phone, internet and cable, go through ONE insurance broker for ALL your insurance needs. And ask about discounts, because they usually exist. We save money by signing up for automatic withdrawls, and we save money because I'm a student, and because I'm going to be a teacher. I KID YOU NOT. We save close to $20 a month because I actually spoke to my insurance guy. They are competitive, and they want you to go with them, so you need to get the most for your money. Be strong and don't be afraid to say no and change insurance brokers if yours isn't giving you the best deal.

#12. ENTERTAINMENT. Do you like to read? Do you like movies? Library & Renting. That is all folks. Books are expensive. Don't give me the, "but I like to own them so I can re-read them" crap. I am the owner of a few books...but generally speaking I either borrow from friends (yey friends!) or I use the library. It's free and the selection is great! As for the movies...rent, don't buy. It's too expensive! If you are like us and rent more then 5 movies a month, it is actually cheaper to sign up for something like Zip. You pay $25 a month, and the movies are sent directly to your house. It's sweet. We really enjoy it. Sign up here for more information.

#13. RAINY DAY. Always set aside money from each pay cheque. ALWAYS. You never know when you are going to need emergency money and nothing is worse then not having it. A credit card is great, but it's not free money.

#14. LOANING. In most cases loaning money (being the giver or the taker) is bad *Student loans being the one exception to this 'guideline'.* The interest will eat you alive and then spit you out and eat you again...and that is never comfortable. Student loans are the exception because they are necessary. If you need a post-secondary education to work your dream job, then you'll need help. I understand that. I am currently knee deep in student loan debt, but it does not worry me. You'll have to pay it back, but you'll have a JOB so you'll have money to pay back. All worthwhile in the end. They also offer interest relief for those who need a little time to get back on their feet.

#15. SECONDHAND. There is nothing wrong buying things second hand. Almost all of Charlotte's clothes were bought used. Does she dress poorly? I think not. I will rarely spend more then $2 on ANY item of clothing for her. Babies/Toddlers wear their clothes for a short period of time, so what's the point in spending $20 on a pair of pants she will wear for 3 weeks. I'd rather spend $2 on a similar pair of pants, and then the remaining $18 on a few more outfits...it's just smarter that way. Places like Kijiji and Craiglist are great for buying and selling things second hand.

#16. EXTRAS. How do you cut the extras? Things like eating out, specialty coffees, road trips and holidays...you need to plan accordingly. If you know you are going to be going out for dinner on Friday, make sure that you are saving during the week so that you will have the money to spend at dinner. Make sense?? By not getting your Venti Caramel Latte everyday and drinking the free coffee at work you'll save the $25 it will cost for your dinner. As for holidays- set money aside. Be smart in September so that in December you have the extra $100 you need for Christmas gifts.

Ok- so those are the 'guidelines' that I could think of off the top of my head. There will probably be more to come, and I will probably refer back to these often because this is how I do it. It's pretty easy right...?!

My final thought goes as follows: don't say that you CAN'T afford anything, ask yourself HOW you can afford it.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

H1N1

2009-11-06T14:01:00.004-07:00

We have 2 Purell bottles in our house. I bought them before Charlotte was born with the intention of making everyone who wanted to hold her use it. Alas, that did not happen. I used it a lot after diaper changes and such...but both of the bottles were hardly used.

*enter H1N1*

We use Purell daily. I use it on myself, I make Lawrence use it, and I frequently rub some on Charlotte's hands. It does not take the place of washing our hands, we still do that ALL the time, but when we are out, it's quick and easy. ANYWAYS, they are almost empty. I laugh because it took me over a year to get the bottles down to half, and within 2 months, we've used the rest. I was at Walmart looking to purchase some more and nearly chocked when I saw a bottle of it cost $5. Pre-baby...I'd spend that. Post-baby...HELL NO! So, what do you do when you are too cheap to buy it but still want to use it?! You go to the University and fill up your bottles with the Purell from the pumps that are LOCATED EVERYWHERE. Lawrence thinks it's stealing. I disagree. They want you to use it that is why it is everywhere. They are giving it to you for free- so what's the difference between 1 squirt in my hand 10 times a day, or 10 squirts in my bottle once a day? Technically I'm taking the same amount of Purell...right?! It wasn't even my idea, I was at work and found a little pocket Purell and was about to throw it out when my friend suggested I fill it using the bigger pump and keep it. I did just that. Then I posted it as my Facebook status and got an overwhelming response to it. So alas, here I am posting it here at the suggestion of a friend. If you have access to a major shopping center, University or even a well stocked public bathroom, I suggest taking your pocket Purell that you keep in your purse or diaper bag and refilling it. No harm done. I'm not asking you all to be bad@$$ like me...small steps folks, it starts with small steps.
Now I must go make some Tutus, which you can purchase here (in case you were wondering and/or interested).

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Pretty!

2009-11-05T13:11:00.001-07:00

I've been scanning other blogs trying to come up with something creative that would make my blog stand out in a crowd of other blogs….
Pretty eh?!
I was trying to keep it simple and straight forward- I don’t want too much crap cluttering my blog, which is funny, because my house = clutter. Oh well! Frugal does not mean clean! And do you want to know the BEST part of it all? It was free. That is right, F-R-E-E! I didn’t pay a cent for any of this prettiness that is my blog. I had to expend minimal energy (a few cut & paste’s) and voila, a thing of beauty.
Live Long and Free…
Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Spice Up Your Blog Here

What's the Point?

2009-11-04T14:58:00.003-07:00

What is the point of starting yet ANOTHER blog you ask? Well, here’s the answer! Apparently people like the way I live. I'm extravagant and over the top and am of the mind set, “go big or go home” but I do it cheaply. That is how I roll. If you don’t like it, go to the top of this page and hit the big X and don’t return. My goal is not to save you money, because honestly I could care less how much you spend and where you spend it etc…my goal is to share with you how I save money. You can take from it what you will. It’s not a hobby of mine, it’s not something that I do on occasion, it is a lifestyle. This is how I live my life. Not only will this blog be a place where I can share all of my money saving techniques, but it will also be a place where I can rant and rave and vent and cry about all the weird and random things that happen to me. Trust me; there will be lots of drama on these pages…just give me some time. Oh- and there will be pictures too- lots and lots of pictures…

I should also take the time to mention that I am a wife to a wonderful man, a mother to a beautiful daughter and a full-time student with very little spare time. I live passionately, love deeply and sing in the shower. I also save my family A TON of money by doing things my own way. Welcome to my blog.

Frugally Yours,
Erin B.

Frugally Yours

well hello there!!

Welcoming Mr. Man

Day Ten

Day Nine

Day Eight

Day Seven

Day Six

Day Five

Day Four

Day Three

Day Two

Day One

Re-Launch of Frugally Yours

My. Bad.

Guest Blogger #2

For My Family.

Guest Blogger #2- better late then never...

Re-introduction

Today I...

Let the kicking can commence!!

*exhaustion*

Long story short...

Welcome Back Erin!

FML.

BOX

les épices

Frugal Move

Motto

I Believe

Diva Cup REVIEW...or rant...

s l a c k e r

STRESSED

Call for help!

Essentials

It's not FREE for everyone...

Him.

As Tricia Sees It...

SEX- it's everywhere! *rant*

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Kill Bill- Vol 1 & Vol 2.

They Can Smell Fear.

Photo

The Results Are In...

Battle of the Buns

Intended for WOMEN only...TMI below.

To Shop or Not To Shop- that is the question....

Friends Supporting Friends

The World According to Tricia

Kind of sorry, but not really...

Frugal Joke

Frugal Craft

Poem for 2010.

The End of an Era...

Blog Worthy??

Because I'm nice like that...

St. Stephen's Day

Seriously- I hope this was a joke...

Frugal Fun.

Erin = Lazy

Stripping...

101 in 1001.

Giveaway!

You Don't Win Friends with Salad- Unless You're Me.

What You Want...

'Till Debt Do Us Part

I don't care if you call me immature, at least I'm having more fun then you!

Retail Therapy

Feels like poopie!

Guest Blogger

Go Ahead And Jump!

Snowed In.

Honesty

Nothing is better then F-R-E-E!!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

House Keeping? House Keeping?

Super Saturday

Random Facts?!

Don't shoot the messenger.

Your Turn

exhaustion

SEX- it's everywhere! rant

Frugal Rules! loooooong